Mission Interference
by toastedCroissants
Summary: The Kinimods. Espionage-like strategists who plan to take Aelita's place in the throne of Eurasia, carrying out Dominik's legacy beyond his death. What measures will they take? Who will they kill? The warriors thought that they were done dealing with the tyrannical king, but they were wrong. Really wrong. J/A and U/Y
1. Prologue

**Hey guys, I'm back from the long (for me) hiatus! Now I have the new and improved 'Mission Interference', and with hope, I pray that you like it, because I tried my best, really. ((: Just in case you were wondering, the storyline is generally the same, just with a few alterations and add-ins of details here and there. But _this_ particular chapter, I changed the POV completely. So no boring repeats! :))**

**For those of you who don't know, this is the sequel to 'The Shadow's Fighters'. If you haven't read it yet, that's okay. I'll be sure to give you a quick overview! :)**

**So here is goes (Warning: Contains Spoilers!):**

**King Dominik, the tyrannical king of Germany, invades France, which is ruled by, of course, Aelita Schaeffer, Anthea Schaeffer, and Francis Schaeffer. Dominik is able to kill Anthea and Francis, but Aelita is able to escape. Out on the Paris Streets, Aelita is captured by Dominik's henchmen again, then is rescued by our Lyoko Warriors. She is then welcomed to their organization, Eurasia's Army. As Dominik quickly takes ahold of the two continents, Eurasia's Army plots the best ways to take him down, and after three medium-large scale battles, they finally succeed. Of course this includes Aelita getting captured again. When the princess is rescued again, she is challenged to a duel with Dominik, but loses. But then later in the end, during Dominik's hearing, Aelita is surprisingly found still alive, and attacks Dominik, finally killing him and inheriting Eurasia. Since Aelita cannot rule Eurasia on her own, she asks the Lyoko warriors to patrol the whole continent along with the rest of the organization. And she's now Jeremie's girlfriend! :))**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. Though I really wish I did! (:**

* * *

Prologue

Polished black boots made their way down a rickety ladder. The rusted steel gave out hollow thuds with every step, and after several seconds, the pair of feet came into contact with the dingy floor once again. The sewers gave off a crude, foul smell (a wonderful mix of fermented waste and spoiled food), but never seemed to deter her from the real reason she was here.

The thumps continued to echo throughout the commodious tunnels as she navigated her own way. It was eerily quiet, and drips of water made their repercussions as they trickled from filthy water pipes built into the walls. Despite the vular smell and the awful sanitation, she found these sewers to be substantially cleaner than the ones in America.

She cringed at the thought.

A black spandex catsuit comfortably hugged the contours of her body, the collar a dramatically dipping v-neck. A matching belt wrapped around her prominent waist, adorned with, of course, the most illegal weapons thought possible: a holster for her gun, and even a few explosives just for the heck of it. Her hair was rolled up into a fairly neat bun then tucked into a mock-pirate cap, and a mask concealed her face.

After she made the usual turns, her eyes met with sleek metal doors which were too clean to fit in with its surroundings. Looking down onto the usual interface with the blinking blue screen, the girl pressed her hand onto the flat cold surface. A few shocks of warmth spread their way down her palm, and the doors smoothly slid open with a high-pitched shrill.

The hydraulic doors revealed a cozy, sizable room which consisted of blinking fluorescent lights that were attached to the ceiling. In the center stood a desk made of reinforced steel and a matching turnable chair. A fedora and a head of shaggy blonde hair peeked from the top of the chair, signaling a man's presence. The chair turned around, revealing the culprit.

The girl smirked under her mask. She pulled it away from her face, and greeted the man. "Dashiel," she said, giving a slight bow. The pair were the same young age of eighteen, just a few months apart, and she still found it awkward to be bowing in front of her peer. She even found it more disturbing that King Dominik actually gave the responsibility to someone as arrogant and inflated as _him._ But after all that thought, the fact that Dashiel was Dominik's most trustable, reliable godson trumped out all the negative qualities.

After all, he _did_ act mature enough for the job.

Dashiel nodded back, his shaded amber eyes meeting hers, and greeted her as well. "Agent #625. I see that you have carried out my requests.." His tone had an unsettling chill to it, though it never threw her off.

#625 crossed her arms, nodded, and answered, "That is affirmative. The Cinema Urgel Theater has been scouted and the adversaries located. Would you like me to launch plan Alpha?"

Dashiel piled his slightly calloused hands atop the steel desk. "I would.. prefer that you do."

Another evil smirk formed on #625's face. Her adrenaline started to peak.

This is going to be _so_ exhilarating.

She pressed the button that was mainly her earpiece, and with an authoritative tone, said, "Launch plan Alpha."

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this a lot more than the old prologue, because it was pretty much pointless. I had loads more fun writing this, too! :) I'm really sorry, guys, for taking down the old story completely, but I just wanted to start fresh, because it was _that _bad. I really did try to reedit using the old story, but I just... couldn't. I felt like I was making the story worse than it already was. So bear with me, please!**

**I'm also posting the first chapter today, because you guys were so kind to me, even while I stopped the story. I'm glad I joined FanFiction when I did. (: Review please (or not, it's okay)! LOL, the my author's notes took up so much space this chapter. Haha, the prologue itself is 556 words, meaning the remaining 468 words are the author's notes...**


	2. Picnic, Games, and Moments

**Hey guys! Like I promised, I'm also putting up Chapter One today! :)) This is a pretty light chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! :)**

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Chapter 1: Picnic, Games, and Moments

A chilly, spring morning filled the air surrounding the familiar French castle, with its intricate designs carved into the stone. The sun was partly concealed behind white cotton balls of fluff, obstructing most of its warmth but its light still able to be cast to brighten up the atmosphere. The paved path leading up to the double-door entrance was slightly moist due to the early morning rain shower, and flowers taking millions of different hues just began to bloom again, making the courtyard take on a meadow-like setting.

Our newly found Queen, Aelita Schaeffer, found today to be the perfect day to have a nice picnic with Jeremie, the guy that she found to be the most amazing person she ever met, her absolute protector; no words could express how she felt about him. She faced death once already, and he was the one to have brought her the strength to fight, to revive herself. Literally.

If his life hadn't been on the line, the pinkette wouldn't have ever killed the tyrannical king. True, she found it unsettling to have murdered someone, snatch someone's life away, but it was really for the greater good. Dominik had ruined so many lives, killed so many people, and when it came down to it, it was kill, or be killed.

Aelita and Jeremie sat atop their red and white checkered picnic blanket, finally enjoying the peace of serenity that they worked so hard to attain. It was nice to just enjoy and not worry about the legions of dead soldiers out to get them, or about a tyrannical king that planned to bring the entire continent to their knees. After all, the sometimes mischievous pinkette had something that is sure to give Jeremie a feeling of letting loose. She knew it was wrong, though it had innocent intentions.

The sunlight blended with the color of their hair. Aelita's simple, yet beautiful pink sundress hugged her petite frame, and Jeremie admired the fact that she never felt the need to go all-out.

"Ready?" asked Aelita, rolling the sweet fruit between her fingers. Jeremie slightly frowned and nodded with uncertainty, but it never disheartened the cheery girl. "Okay, one...two...three!"

Immediately, she tossed three grapes -two more than expected- into the air and towards Jeremie. The game was simple: one tossed the grape, the other caught. Jeremie felt absolutely ridiculous, but as usual, he couldn't refuse his pink-haired angel's persistent pleas. Like before the picnic, he had a shift back at headquarters; his job was to take any reports from the patrollers and to help with medicinal professions. He had to stay home. But like any usual day, nothing out of place happened, so after minutes of arguing to himself, he finally agreed to meet Aelita. After all, she _was_ the Queen.

Embarrassingly enough, all three grapes hit his spectacles, knocking them right off his face. As blind as a bat, he desperately groped for his glasses as Aelita incessantly giggled.

"AELITA!" he yelled, still looking for his glasses. He could just feel his face heating up. "This is _not_ funny!"

Aelita only laughed harder. She found his geekiness absolutely adorable. He made her feel so happy, almost to the point of forgetting everything in her terrible past: the invasion, her near death, and even her unbearable torture sessions.

Feeling slightly guilty, she snatched his spectacles from the ground, and placed them back on Jeremie gently.

Said nerd was immediately greeted by Aelita's staring green eyes, and he gasped when Aelita teasingly pecked him on the lips. His face flushed to a shade of deep scarlet -she had that effect on him-, and Aelita giggled once again.

Watching the scene unfolding in front of her, a girl in a black catsuit - the reconnoiter- smirked behind her mask. "Oh, how cute," she said in a sing-song voice. Then she pressed her fingers against her earpiece and whispered, "Dashiel, send in the soldiers."

"My pleasure..." his smooth baritone voice replied through the receiver. In response, #625 left her hiding place, a finely cut hedge lining the garden on the far left side of the courtyard, and danced off -literally- back to headquarters. To avoid getting caught, a complicated mix of cartwheels, backflips, and hops are the best way to go. She's completed her part.

Once the color disappeared from Jeremie's face, he finally got back the courage to face Aelita again. The pinkette was staring up into the sky with her eyes closed, absorbing all the beauty around her. The flowers just gave her a sense of peace, tranquility. Jeremie looked at her, slightly grinning at her calm face. The sun enhanced her features beautifully, bringing out the color of her hair, and the flowers painted a complementing background. Jeremie found the pinkette to be the most amazing girl he ever met, and he felt so fortunate to have her, to love her, to hold her... He almost felt like he didn't deserve her, that it was crazy that someone like her would actually love him, too.

He can't believe that she was his.

Aelita opened her eyes, taking note of the sudden silence, and focused back on Jeremie. She gave him a small grin, catching him staring at her. Jeremie immediately looked away, turning red again. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Frowning, Aelita reached up and dug her fingers into his hair. On instinct, he tensed up. She ran her fingers through the blonde locks in an attempt to calm him, the sun helping by casting its warmth around the pair.

"Aelita... sometimes I feel that.. you're too good for me," Jeremie said in a timid tone, staring into her green eyes. "What can you _possibly_ find in me?"

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Well..." she started, still running her fingers through his hair in repeated patterns, "I see an intelligent young man who never hesitates to put others' lives in front of his..."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek, her lips lingering on his soft skin.

"I see a strong man who endured through _so_ much..."

She kissed him on the other cheek, longer this time.

"And last but not least.." She leaned in. "I see a loving man who saved me... _You_ are my savior, Jeremie."

"Aelita...I-" He was flustered beyond words.

Sweetly cutting him off, Aelita initiated the kiss, connecting her lips with his. She grasped onto his locks of hair with both hands, slowly closing her eyes. On instinct, Jeremie wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

After all, he _was _her protector.

Their lips gently parted and came together in unison as they again became one, reminding them of the first kiss they ever shared.

When they pulled away, Aelita was still looking into his blue eyes.

"Jeremie.. _you're_ too good for me."

* * *

**Author's Note: As you all can see, I added much more fluff to this chapter. Gah, I just love this couple so much! :) Feel free to review, guys! Originally, I was going to put this in my drabble collection, but the idea just came to me while I was still typing up this chapter, and I just couldn't resist! It just fit together so well. (: And just for all those people who are all like, "Where the heck did the Kinimods go? I thought that Dashiel was going to send the soldiers in!" They're coming in the next chapter. (: I just didn't want to ruin the moment _just _yet, haha. Like I said last time, I love you guys!**


	3. Greetings, From the Kinimods

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the awesome reviews! :) I hope you all are having a great day (or night, if you live in a different timezone, haha). And if you're not, then I hope this can brighten your mood. ;) So just sit and read and let the words caress you... Is that weird?**

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Chapter 2: Greetings, From the Kinimods

A shadow loomed over the smiling pair as their foreheads were pressed against each other, an after effect from the kiss. Taking note of the sudden darkness that replaced the warming light, Aelita's smile faded along with Jeremie's. Averting her eyes upwards, her lips formed into a full-on frown, seeking a man about their age with a black fedora atop his head.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's time for me to interrupt this..._ heartwarming_ moment," the mysterious man said, the words coming out of his mouth like venom. His amber eyes hovered over to Aelita. "Frolicking in the meadows... That isn't very responsible, Aelita. Being the Queen of two continents, I expect better from you. Maybe we should... _relieve_ you of your duties."

The novice Queen widened her eyes; that last sentence froze her in place as the cold realization sunk in. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end as the words took form inside her mind, and her hands became moist and clammy. She couldn't believe it. After all this hardship, who would've thought...

This man is out to kill her.

"Aelita, stand back!" Jeremie commanded, placing his body in front of hers. Reaching into his pant pockets, he pulled out two daggers, the metal glinting in the sunlight. Being in Eurasia's Army for almost two years, it became almost traditional to stay equipped with weapons. You'll never know when you'll get stuck in a situation like this.

The man's face never changed the slightest bit. Not a muscle moved. It continued to hold that calm, monotonous expression, as if he didn't see the daggers at all. Jeremie remained undaunted, of course, as he kept up with his fighting stance, his daggers in hand. That is, until the man pulled out a weapon of his own from the inside of his coat.

It's sleek black exterior reflected the sunlight, taking on a vitreous luster. His white finger hovered over the trigger, the barrel ready to launch.

And it was pointed at Jeremie's skull.

"Look," the man said, his eyebrows scrunching the slightest bit. "I didn't come here to fight, but if you must point those useless implements at me, then so be it."

He snapped his fingers.

Thirty or so of his companions clothed in matching black garments appeared from behind the hedges, all equipped with swords, clubs, or axes. Seeing this, sweat began to pour from Jeremie's brow, and his arms slightly quivered.

Slowly, but cautiously, Jeremie reluctantly lowered his weapons.

"Thank you," the man said coolly, depositing the gun into his coat.

Jeremie clenched his fists. "Who _are_ you?!" he asked with prominent hostility. "No one has seen a gun since the beginning of World War III!" The word tasted foul in his mouth. It was like something that didn't belong. Something so _foreign_ and _illegal_, that no one even dare mention that kind of device anymore.

Except for one.

King Dominik.

Jeremie widened his eyes. He didn't know what to feel. The nostalgia and anger came crashing down on him again this second, fueling his muscles with the itch to kill this guy. He clenched his fists tighter until he drew blood from his palms as his eyes shot imaginary arrows in the man's direction.

Jeremie heard a thud from behind him, and it was no doubt Aelita falling to the ground from the same realization. He didn't bother helping her because he needed to stay his ground. These guys are after her spot on the throne.

"Y-you're..." Jeremie started, unable to fish those simple words from his mind. "You're working.. for King Dominik, aren't you?"

The man smirked in response. "Glad you noticed," he said. "But I wouldn't exactly call it _working _for him, because he's dead, don't you forget. We're more like... his heirs who plan to take control of the continent as the new patriarchs and matriarchs of Eurasia.. after we get rid of you pests, of course. We call ourselves the Kinimods."

"And why are you guys here? To kill us?"

"Not you," the man replied, moving his eyes away from Jeremie. "Little Aelita, of course." He moved his eyes over the pinkette again, smirking when he found her unconscious. "With her out of the picture, anyone can inherit the throne, because she has no children to be her successor. Though I know you would just _love_ to remedy that."

Jeremie felt the color rise to his cheeks. His eyes widened as he took meaning of the pun.

_Keep it cool, Jeremie, this guy is just trying to get to you._

"Oh look at that..." the man taunted, looking into Jeremie's eyes. "How immature of you to blush like that. A stern fighter like you shouldn't feel embarrassed by the slightest of puns!" He took fighting stance, clenching his fists. "We're taking the girl."

Jeremie relaxed again as the true purpose dawned on him. He took fighting stance as well, his daggers in hand. "Not on my watch."

"And not on ours, either."

Jeremie quickly scanned his surroundings. An outer layer of soldiers stood around the Kinimods, and it was to his joy when he found them to be Aelita's castle guards.

In response to the sudden appearance of the militia, the man just looked at Jeremie, giving him a '_this isn't over_' look. Then, he took out a few orbs of a mysterious substance and threw them to the ground, a brief _poof! _echoing in everyone's ears. Mushrooms of smoke appeared and encompassed everyone, and by the time it cleared out...

The Kinimods were gone.

Jeremie looked around and found Aelita's guards to be just as surprised as he.

_They have explosives as well.._

* * *

#625 got off her black moped as she took her helmet off, releasing her long locks of hair to fall freely around her shoulders. She just spent the last hour traveling miles across Spain to arrive at the manhole that would eventually lead her back to headquarters, and now her butt is sore and she felt lightheaded from all the wind crashing mercilessly against her face. She currently wore a tight pair of skinny jeans and an oversized sweater, required disguise to draw suspicion away from her; after all, a normal young adult beats a reconnoiter in a contest of innocency any day.

Dropping her backpack onto the blanket of grass, she peered into it and scrounged for that particular catsuit that she planned to change back into. Wringing her fingers through her knotted hair, she rolled it up into the usual bun and tucked it into the pirate cap that would reliably keep her face free of stray hairs. She then unzipped out of the jeans and stripped out of the sweater, replacing them with the comfortable spandex that enabled her body to move freely again. She didn't understand normal teen fashion. It wasn't very practical.

Once back in uniform, #625 exhaled a sigh of relief. She chained her moped to the bike rack, where it will blend in with all the others, and then searched for that inconspicuous manhole. When she found it, she lifted the rusted metal cover to reveal the ladder that led down the confined tunnel, and entered it, carefully supporting her feet and hands with the also rusty handlebars. When she was halfway down, her ears met with the familiar sound of trickling water, and then sooner or later, her feet met the ground again.

Like Dashiel, she performed her duties specially in Spain, and occasionally, in other countries as well, if extra profession is needed. Being at the top of the whole undercover agent field, she had that extra opportunity. This is to her advantage, of course, because she just _loved_ her job.

Even though it was immoral in so many ways.

Walking through the sewer tunnels, she crossed paths with fellow spies, all wearing the same black spandex in different styles. Most of them are probably coming back from their recent shifts.

Shifts which contained dirty work pertaining to those 'warriors.'

#625 climbed up the second ladder which guided her way into the center of headquarters. She hoped endlessly that Dashiel got the job done. After all, she had her part of the deal: divided power over Eurasia.

Without warning, the alarms blared, Dashiel's irking way of calling everyone to the stadium for an urgent meeting.

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**Author's Note: Well, I hope you guys liked it! :) I'm sorry for the longer-than-usual wait (for a chapter as short as this). I just wanted to be at least one chapter ahead when I'm writing, so that I'll know what's happening next and I will be sure that this is the official chapter (not doing this was what caused the disaster of the first one). :) Mostly because I hate to go back and heavily edit chapters that have already been posted. That's one of the things on my 'Don't Do's,' or whatever you call it list.. Grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, and other typos are exceptions. LOL. Feel free to review, guys! They make me happy and peak my motivation to write! :)**


	4. Outpour

**Hey guys! I'm back with another update! Awesomeness, right?! Haha, I hope you enjoy this! Here's chapter 3.**

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Chapter 3: Outpour

Aelita groaned as she slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. Colors blurred and distorted for a few seconds until she could make out a few shapes. Her throat was parched; she needed water badly. Her head throbbed; image after image seemed to rock left to right in hypnotic ways.

She could make out a few shapes. Two black circles. A head of blonde hair.

Jeremie.

When the colors and shapes seemed to come back into focus, all the blur cleared out. The walls of her room formed as she gathered the softness of her sheets, her mind becoming able to perceive sight and touch again.

She heard a sigh of relief exit Jeremie's mouth.

"Aelita..I was so worried," he spoke once she was fully conscious.

In response to what he said, Aelita shot straight up, the covers sliding down her body. She still wore her pink sundress.

That did not just happen.

Aelita smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "Jeremie, I'm so sorry.."

Jeremie's hands encompassed hers. "It's okay, Aelita. I understand why you did."

No it's not. It's not okay. Fainting in front of the man just told him that she can be easily dealt with; she fainted just by the power of words. Why is she always so weak? No matter what she did, she couldn't shake off that feeling of embarrassment. Always being the damsel in distress didn't feel very redeeming. You felt like a burden to others.

Jeremie seemed to reap all of that thought from just her downcast expression. Being the guy he is, he fully understood her. "Aelita.. don't beat yourself up too much. You're not weak. You were just overwhelmed, that's all.. Dominik caused you so much grief, and you endured through all of it."

_She was overwhelmed. _

Tears began to stream from her eyes. They progressed from uncontrollable sniffles to involuntary sobs, and Jeremie pulled her close, rubbing the small of her back tenderly. She felt so infuriated by Dominik's persistence; it almost felt like all that torture and fighting didn't do anything. It didn't restore peace to Eurasia at all. She'd tried so hard, and just when they began to really take in the fact that they were in the clear, a new predicament just had to rise. Dominik dead.. and his ghost had been found.

This could be the start of another continental war.

_War_. Meaning more deaths, lives risked. Extra precautions, paranoia, anxiety.

All because Aelita wouldn't give up her spot on the throne to those black-clad commandos.

_Damsel in distress._

Aelita broke out into a heavier sob. Droplets reluctantly left Jeremie's eyes as well. He couldn't stand watching Aelita go through all this pain.

He would get revenge _even_ if it's the last thing he'll do.

The Kinimods better watch out.

* * *

Dashiel watched with eyes of a hawk as the colliseum of the Kinimods filled up with fellow undercover agents and battle militants: one side with their black spandex suits, the other with their black punk fashion. He stood in center stage, the seats ascending around him, and only small conversation was exchanged between the fighters and the spies, even among their own groups.

Per usual; not many can be trusted in this organization. They were only bound together with the fact that they all favored tyrannical ruling over any other kind, and that after they won, each and every one of them will have power to some extent.

What caused the tension was the fact that rumors had been spreading about Dashiel just using everyone to his own advantage so that he could gain all the power and just throw everyone else in prison. There were also some rumors about some renegade fighters who conspired exclusively with the formidable leader.

Once everyone settled down, Dashiel started his speech, the natural acoustics in the room enabling his voice to boom across the area. "Hello, fellow fighters, intelligence agents. I would like to welcome you to the colliseum of the Kinimods. I apologize for the short notice... _Actually_, I shouldn't be." He paused, tapping his fingers against his chin as if deep in thought. "This is urgent."

More silence ensued as he began pacing across the stage, his fingers interlaced behind his back. He then continued, his lips forming into an evil smirk, "It is now to my knowing that Aelita is poorly protected with thousands of pesky, _immature_ fighters. This is to our advantage of course; they can be dealt with easily. According to my vast knowledge of human behavior, I know just how to get rid of them, or at least, muddle the inseverable ties they seem to have."

A female stood up, clearly noting how Dashiel was avoiding something. She wore a black leather jacket over a black tee, paired with black booty shorts. A chain hung from the right side of her shorts, and it clinked when she shifted her weight to the other foot. Chestnut hair fell around her shoulders, and her tiny, thin frame misled people concerning her strengths. With her eyebrows scrunched, she said, "So in other words, the mission that took place today completely failed? I'm assuming this because you're talking as if we still haven't captured the Queen yet."

Dashiel smirked. Typical. Always has to be Victoria scrutinizing his behavior. The two were close friends as children, so they knew each other well. He responded, "Yes, unfortunatley, we were forced to retreat this morning."

Groans of protest and dissatisfaction erupted from all around (#625 was enraged to hear this), though Dashiel remained undeterred. He stuck to his intuition; it was truly the best thing to do. In an attempt to get everyone on the same page as him, he inhaled deeply and added, "Miss Aelita's castle guards were present. No, we were not outnumbered, it is just against my demeanor to initiate a bloodbath so quickly. That would have been rash, unsightly, and not to mention _idiotic_. We will tackle this problem with strategy and finesse." He slammed his right fist into his left hand. "Though I assure you that there _will_ be fights eventually. So stay prepared."

"So you have a plan, then?" Victoria retorted.

"Certainly," Dashiel answered. Wanting to keep this brief, he put an end to this convergence. "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Sleep deprivation began to take over the novice Queen as she laid in her canopy bed; thoughts of the Kinimods assailed her mind until she just stared numbly at the ceiling, the edges of her vision starting to black out. She almost forgot to blink.

The sheets slowly transitioned into more of a constraint than a body heat preserver. Her chest felt constricted, like she was in a corset that laced up her back.

_Corset_.

Huh. She's never been in one of those in a long time. Ever since she became associated with Eurasia's Army, she began to care less and less about how she looked on the outside, and more on what was inside her heart. Character traits such as nobleness, morale, and generosity became what she thrived on.

She silently thanked Jeremie for showing her the right way to live.

The tears were long gone this morning after she bawled her eyes out into severe dehydration. Much to her dismay, when she thought of Jeremie, like now, tears again began to flow down her cheeks. She couldn't help but associate her thoughts of him with thoughts of Dominik as long as they're dealing with the miscreant; after all, that was how she met Jeremie.

Indignation and wretchedness overflowed her thoughts again like toxins.

Aelita's emerald orbs shifted to the wooden door when it began to open with a creak, her mind automatically searching for the nearest crowbar.

_"The Kinimods," _her thoughts echoed.

Fear overcame her for the slightest second, but remarkably dispelled when she caught a glimpse of Jeremie behind it. She couldn't help but manage a small smile. Wiping at her tears, she patted the space beside her, happily welcoming him in.

Silently accepting the offer, Jeremie slowly walked in, shutting the door behind him with a muted thump. He sauntered towards his waiting girlfriend, pulling away the pink covers to make room for himself. He gently laid down upon the thick feather mattress, comfortable silence instantly settling between the two.

Jeremie took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. Aelita then cupped a cold anxious hand around his cheek, as if to check that he was really here. Those blue eyes were mesmerizing, even in the dark, and it was the first time she saw them directly without his thick rims partly obscuring its natural shine. She thought they were _so_ beautiful.

"What are you doing here?" Aelita asked, swallowing back her tears. A lump formed in her throat, and she prayed that Jeremie didn't notice it obstruct her speech.

"I was worried about you," he answered, placing his hand over hers. "Are you okay?"

Aelita nodded slowly with a feigned smile. But Jeremie was dubious, usually being able to tell through her fake expressions. "Aelita..." he pleaded.

The tears gave it away. Aelita didn't know when they began to stream. Jeremie pulled her into a tight hug, one hand pulling her head under his chin in an attempt to calm her down. "I-I'm j-just a little anxious, J-Jeremie," she confessed, her tears wetting his shirt collar. "I-It just feels like...y-you guys worked so _hard_, and I-I just wanted you g-guys to f-finally relax!" She broke out into a heavier sob. Jeremie's heart ripped into two; despair began to take over him.

No one deserved to go through all this pain.

"We love you, Aelita," Jeremie told her, stroking her hair. "We _want_ to do this."

"I-I don't want you guys to s-stress over m-me!" she said, her body going through uncontrollable sporadic muscle spasms. "I-I don't want y-you all to die j-just to protect me!"

The worry, resentment, anxiousness, and despondency poured out of her mouth, emotions expressed by words. She was just..so.. _vexed._

"It's not like that, Aelita... Shhhh.."

Jeremie spent the next few minutes frequently kissing her forehead and repeatedly saying hushed phrases:

"We're not going to die."

"I love you."

"Everything's going to be okay."

"Shhh..."

This continued on until the sun finally rose, the orange streaks of color polluting the pure, deep blue sky. Sometime later, Aelita fell asleep in Jeremie's restraining arms, too exhausted and dehydrated to cry any more.

_"I'll always protect you, Aelita, I swear it on my own life,"_ Jeremie thought to himself, listening to Aelita's light breaths.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry to have to end this on a sad note. I know, I know, this chapter is depressing. But it made more sense than Aelita suddenly becoming happy again, right? Well anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this nevertheless, because this was a really hard chapter to write. Feel free to review, guys! :)) The rest of the Lyoko Warriors are coming in the next chapter, and shout outs are coming soon! :) I really appreciate all of your support, guys! :) Ah, I just miss updating daily. :)**


	5. Redemption

**Hey guys! I'm back with an awesome chapter, I can assure you! ...Well, actually, that is your opinion. I hope you enjoy this! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4: Redemption

Morning came without a warning. Aelita still laid in her bed with Jeremie's arms comfortably wrapped around her; the spasms stopped hours ago, leaving her to finally rest peacefully. Throughout the night, Jeremie murmured prayers to God with his lips pressed against her wet forehead. He didn't sleep at all.

He watched her cry and beat herself up emotionally. It killed him not being able to do anything.

The sky was now a clear light blue, the sun's rays unfurling upon them. It didn't lift Jeremie's spirits up; it just hauled them down even more. He gazed oppressively at the pink plaster.

"Jeremie..." Aelita murmured.

"Yes, Aelita?" he asked enthusiastically, happy to finally hear her angelic voice.

"Good morning." She grinned, her eyes still closed.

Jeremie chuckled, uncoiling his arms from around her. He got up out of bed, and asked, "So I guess you're ready to see Yumi, Odd, and Ulrich today?"

Aelita moaned as Jeremie lightly tugged at her arms. "Five more minutes..." she mumbled groggily.

The corners of Jeremie's lips tugged upwards to form a smile of relief. She's finally better. But she still has to get up. "Aelita," he started, sounding almost like her father, "we have to discuss the situation with them, or else they can't help."

He tugged at her arms again. Stubbornly, the pinkette yanked her arms away.

Little did she know that Jeremie's habit of easily giving in to utter strength caused himself to topple on top of her. The mattress gave a little shake.

Jeremie felt Aelita tremble beneath him. This automatically sent shivers down his spine.

_Is she okay?_

He then heard little bits of her voice stand out between the trembles. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief. She's just laughing, that's all.

He gently lifted himself off the giggling pinkette. Positioning his arms at her sides, he looked down on her and smiled even wider. "Good morning to you too, Aelita," he greeted.

Aelita beamed. She giggled even harder. Snatching his glasses from the nightstand, she placed them back on his face. "Jeremie.." she began, "I want to thank you for last night... I feel a lot better."

"I'm glad to hear that," he answered. "But you still have to get up."

Aelita's expression dropped and transformed into a subtle pout. Jeremie raised an eyebrow and shook his head in response. Aelita gave out a sigh of defeat.

And with a light peck on the lips, Aelita got up and walked to her bathroom, leaving behind a dazed Jeremie.

* * *

A teenage girl at age seventeen sat huddled in a corner, her knees pulled up to her chest. As usual, her parents fought before her eyes, their snide remarks like deathly bombs aimed at one another like they were at war. Her slim fingers clutched tightly onto her long locks of hair; she was pulling at them, hoping the strands would fall out.

She hoped the pain would mute or at least ebb away their thunderous voices that bashed her helpless ears.

"Are thou certain about his choices?!" her mother's usual gentle voice yelled.

"I don't need to rethink just for the reason that thee tisn't okay with it!" her father aimlessly retorted.

Warm salty tears began to stream down their daughter's face, staining her elaborate gown. She knew the reason for their fighting; she always did. But she could never do _anything _to help. That's what killed her the most. The droplets almost symbolized her hopelessness; they would descend down their cheeks until they met the bottom of her jawline, where they would cling on for dear life. Then, they would fall and land onto the thick fabric of her dress, where they would be consumed and vanish completely.

Before her parents, she felt like a vulnerable little child. She almost screamed when her mother initiated another round of fighting.

"So many residents are dying!"

"Tis how supposed to be!"

"You are _vile_!"

The girl watched from her helpless corner as her father propelled her mother to the banner adorned wall, his hand clasped around her thin neck.

Then he pulled out a minute knife and-

Waking up with a jolt, #625 lifted her heavy eyelids with little to no problem. She took in a deep gulp of air to calm herself, and then she ran her palm down her wet face. Not to her surprise, she found traces of tears trailing down her cheeks; she had been crying again.

She always knew what happened next in that vision. She never will forget. She still loved her father because she pitied him, but she will _never_ forgive him for killing her mother. And now he's dead, like any other ruler that had been killed. The dream was still blurred, but it was _so_ accurate that it scared her. She had been trying to shove that memory to the back of her head, but it always managed to emerge again in her dreams.

Shaking her head to discard the thoughts for the millionth time, she pulled the covers away and began her morning duties.

Fifteen minutes later, #625 emerged from the restrooms, wearing her usual black jumpsuit. She then walked to the mess hall, got her meal, and sat down with a few friends. That is, until she caught Dashiel's amber eyes.

He was aiming his index finger at her, drawing it towards himself. She sighed deeply, bid goodbye to her friends, and walked over to their leader.  
Usually, this would set some people off -being alone with Dashiel- because of the rumors, but since she was the head of the spies, it was considered normal. Plopping herself down at his table, he began to whisper in a low tone the plan that would, hopefully, bring down Eurasia's Army.

* * *

Aelita and Jeremie arrived at headquarters at roughly 11:00 a.m. The pinkette was happy to see the place again, despite the fact that this was where she had to stay during her days of dealing with Dominik. After all, this was where she found her friends which she had come to love endlessly. It filled her with remembrance; viewing everyone spar again reminded her of what she saved. This filled her with a substantial amount of pride, the complete polar opposite of what she had only been feeling for the past few hours.

She squealed happily with delight, wrapping her arms around Jeremie's neck. This picture alone brought so many happy feelings back.

"Hey einstein, we've been waiting for you to come back!" exclaimed a high-pitched -yet still masculine- voice. "Where have you been?"

Aelita recognized that voice straightaway. A mental picture of a svelte man with spiked hair and bold purple clothing filled her mind. Her lips formed a large smile. It was Odd, Odd Della-robbia: her guardian and her lovable, humorous friend. Aelita's emerald eyes instantly brightened.

"Aelita?"

"Odd!" Aelita squealed with glee, transferring her hug to the eccentric teen. The pinkette missed him _so_ much. She just loved him like an older brother; he has always been looking out for her. She squeezed even tighter, crippling his thin frame. In response, Odd immediately clenched his teeth.

"I-I'm happy to see you again p-princess," he gagged out with a slight chuckle. Flailing his arms, he finally protested and said, "B-but I c-can't b-breathe!"

Aelita's eyes widened with guilt. When she finally released him, Odd rolled his shoulders to loosen them up, then he finally pulled on his shirt collar.

Odd's light brown orbs began to scan the pair of 'lovebirds,' as he would call them. A mischievous smirk formed on his face; he's going to have some fun with _this_.

"Ahem," he started, clearing his throat. "So that's where you've been, einstein! What were you guys up to last night, hmm?" He waggled his eyebrows, placing his hands on his hips.

Jeremie and Aelita were speechless. Whatever was going on in Odd's mind, well, they didn't want to know. Their cheeks reddened instantaneously.

"Odd!" they yelled in unison. "Shut up!"

"Whatever we were doing is none of your business..." Aelita said.

"Anyway, we've got to discuss a vital topic, and I don't think you'll enjoy it," Jeremie added. "I want Ulrich and Yumi here, too. Where are they?"

* * *

"Hyah!"

"You've got to try better than that!"

Yumi, a Japanese teen dressed head to toe in black smirked playfully at Ulrich, her lifetime opponent in Pencak Silat. He was obviously better at it, though his slight underestimation of Yumi's strength always caused him to plummet face down towards the coarse gravel, costing him the win that would fill him with pride.

The two promptly took normal fighting stances right after Yumi did her backflip to avoid Ulrich's roundhouse kick that was aimed for her torso. She shook her head to move the stray strands of hair hanging in her face, then tauntingly motioned for him to come back at her.

"You've got to try better than that, Ulrich," she mimicked.

Disgruntled, Ulrich lunged for the dark-haired beauty, his foot aimed for her torso again. Unfortunately, it got caught inside Yumi's hands, and immediately, she began shoving it back in his direction, bringing about his clumsy backwards hopping. Crossed, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her over, sending her toppling and him resting on top of her.

Keeping her pinned onto the ground, Ulrich grabbed her wrists. Yumi tried to get out from under him, but to no avail.

It was until a few seconds when he realized what they were doing. Clearly embarrassed, he paused a few seconds, his mouth slightly agape. He felt the color reluctantly rise to his cheeks.

Fortunately, the battlefield's doors opened, revealing Aelita, Jeremie, and Odd. This saved Ulrich from the later embarrassment; luckily, he was able to dismount from atop Yumi before their three companions could see them.

"Hey, Ulrich," Odd greeted, his eyes resting on the brunette. "Wow, you finally beat Yumi this time?"

Getting up, Yumi dusted herself off and replied, "Yeah." Normally, she would deny it, but she would rather have that as the explanation rather than telling them what _really_ happened. Shaking her head, she then asked, "What's up?"

"Urgent meeting," Jeremie interjected.

"Is everything alright?" Aelita asked. "You guys seem a bit off."

The two blushed, looking away with embarrassment. Fortunately, Aelita and Jeremie brushed it off; they have to deal with the exact same thing. But, like always, Odd couldn't let them off the hook that easily.

He'll pester his little German friend later.

* * *

Morose.

That was the only feeling that filled Jeremie's room as the five discussed the situation. To Yumi, the greatest fear of all fears was the possibility that the one person she had tried to kill off, the one who ruined so many people, the one who _killed_ so many has finally came back. He's going to get his revenge, even beyond his death.

_No!_

Yumi's heart caught in her throat as those words rolled off Jeremie's tongue. It felt like she met her death psychologically. Her brain couldn't even comprehend the conflicting notions battling each other: the pain, the sadness, the anger.

But that wasn't the worst part. She couldn't shake that shred of happiness, that tiny feeling of pride when it came to saving the continent. She could make a difference again. Besides, she felt useless standing around doing absolutely nothing productive.

That small feeling was what, inevitably, brought her the strength to fight back.

For the second time.

So, she brought the stoicness to her sharp facial features, and said, "I'll fight again, Jeremie."

Odd, on the other hand, couldn't help but be excited to start all over again. He immediately agreed. The heroics, the action, the suspense- he missed all of it. Nevertheless, he gave his condolences to Aelita, for he knew what this meant for her and how it affected her.

Meanwhile, it took Ulrich the longest to respond; images of Yumi flooded his mind. She nearly died during that battle at the Square, and constantly having their lives at risk never failed to interfere with their illusory relationship. When he finally was convinced that all this free-time and relaxation could further on their ties, he only found himself on the bottom again.

Their relationship could become purely platonic.

Fully considered, he agreed as well. It would be selfish to back away from this mission just because of his 'love life,' -_if_ it even existed.

He'll just pursue Yumi another time; she never likes to have her mind set on other things rather than the priority anyway.

"So are you all up to it?" Jeremie asked, sitting at his writing desk. Aelita stood right next to him, her fingers tightly crossed and her eyes squeezed shut.

In response and much to Aelita's happiness, they all answered with that same, three lettered word: yes. They also nodded a bit to confirm to the genius.

As usual, when something was brought to an agreement, Jeremie clasped his hands together. "Alright then, it's settled. I wasn't going to give you guys a choice anyway."

"Any special instructions while we're at it, einstein?" Ulrich asked.

Jeremie smirked. "_Just_ a few." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "There are three major indications of the Kinimods: First, they wear black, simple as that. Second, they move almost in sync with one another. Thirdly, a tall man dressed in a black coat and a fedora leads the whole pack." He counted them off with his fingers. "Also, you guys have to be extra cautious... Believe it or not, the leader has a gun equipped."

Odd's eyes noticeably widened. Ulrich's eye twitched. Yumi paled, if it was even possible. "Y-you mean..."

Jeremie held up his hands to calm the room. "Don't panic. As long as you're careful, you won't get hurt."

"Anything else you need to tell us?" Odd asked, beginning to feel jittery. "As if they sounded bad enough..."

Jeremie nodded slowly, hauling down their spirits. "There's also the subject of new recruits. Please, if you can, find _more_ of them. Any age is fine, as long as they're willing. Our numbers have exponentially decreased due to the patrolling of the continent. Spread this piece of information to the rest of the warriors. They deserve to be notified as well."

"Are we finished?" Yumi asked. "We have to get to our patrolling shifts. We're already late, as it is."

Jeremie shook his head, his smile barely contained. "_Actually_," he started, "you guys have the rest of the day off."

* * *

**Author's Note: Gah, I can't help myself but add another Jerlita moment into this c****hapter! This couple is too darn cute. I just adore them. Well, I hope you like this chapter! It's lengthy-ish. Haha, just in case you guys didn't notice, I took the fighting scene between Ulrich and Yumi from the 'X.A.N.A Awakens' prequel. I am fond of this couple. ;) Haha, well anyway, end of take for this chapter of this log book, if you know what I mean. ((; -cheesy joke sound effects-**


	6. Trust With Caution

**Hey guys, guess what? First action chapter! :)) Haha, I know this story is a lot slower paced than the first (I just realized it), and I apologize (if you mind the new pace). I hope you enjoy this one, and since it's going to be so awesome, let's get to the shoutouts!**

**rosamea- Thank you so much for all of your great reviews! Haha, don't worry about your English, because trust me, I've seen much much much worse grammar come from native speakers of English. XD You're doing really well, you don't have to apologize for anything! :) Just c'mon and get an account (but only if you want) so I can PM you! Haha, I'd really like to talk to you more and get to know you a bit!  
**

**muffinmilk317- Thanks for liking the new approach, and don't worry, I've got almost the whole story planned, so I will keep on writing! :) For you and everyone else! ;)  
**

**obsessivefanno.4- Do I see a Directioner here? ;) I have cousins that love them! Now that's really cool. (: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews!  
**

**AelitaOfTheWolves- HELLO, FELLOW JERLITA FAN! :)) Let's flood each other's PM boxes on how cute they are (haha, just kidding XD). Thank you for all of your reviews, and for accepting my overflow of Jerlita moments! :)  
**

**aelitalyoko99- I'm so thankful that you like the 'spy' touch to this story. I really like it too. It just popped into my mind one day when I was thinking of the Kinimods' ultimate plan; it fit together so well! Thank you for your fast and constant reviewing! :)  
**

**blueblur2000- Hey, dude, what's up? Thanks for your detailed (and long) reviews, I just love knowing you take time to critique my work! I love 'em. (: And by the way, you are not losing your touch, not at all.**

**And thank you to everyone else who favorited, followed, or even just read my work! I really appreciate your time! :)) Love you all! Now let's get to the chapter, shall we? Action! Please stop my overflow of exclamation points... ):**

* * *

Chapter 5: Trust With Caution

Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi left the famous Cinema Urgel with satisfied bellies. Jeremie and Aelita chose to stay at headquarters to attend with their daily duties. They were grateful that Jeremie decided for them to spend the rest of the day off, but unfortunately, it felt like they wasted it, for the film they watched was a typical teen drama: cheesy and just over-dramatic. It was a disgrace for teens everywhere; the motion picture made them look rash, dumb, and vain as a whole.

"Are we girls..._really_ that needy?" Yumi asked, shaking her head with disappointment. "And are we..._really_ that shallow?"

Odd stopped slurping the fizzy drink through his straw for a second, the liquid threatening to escape from his nostrils; he was laughing from pure amusement. "Well..." he started with a tactful tone.

Yumi scoffed and punched her quirky friend playfully on the shoulder, Ulrich beginning to laugh as well.

"Dork," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey, you're lucky to get off with just a snide remark," Ulrich added, gazing over to Odd. "Let's face it, Yumi could've KOed you in a heartbeat."

"Whatever," Yumi grumbled, clearly annoyed. "Can we just go now?"

Being of the same mind, Ulrich nodded, throwing the Dragon's Barrette into the air, murmuring, "Dragon teleportation."

Like it was customary, the camouflage barrette transformed into the all-too-familiar void of swirling black and red. But right before they could jump in, Yumi spotted something occurring from just her peripheral vision.

A girl with golden flowing locks of hair was in a heated pursuit with a large group of black-clad teens right across the street from the trio. Almost instantly, as the chase carried on, Yumi's mind began to quickly probe through the verbal checklist Jeremie gave them.

_First, they wear black, simple as that._

All they wore was black: black leather jackets, black boots, black skinny jeans, black tees... Check.

_Second, they move almost in sync with one another._

Yumi examined their stride: they were frightenly coordinated. They traversed with an almost marching gait, their legs moving in unison. They took their time as the girl pityingly dashed for her life.

Check.

_Thirdly, a tall man dressed in a black coat and a fedora leads the whole pack._

As it was. Check. This mysterious group of teens were, undoubtedly, the Kinimods.

"Ulrich, Odd, look!" Yumi exclaimed, directing her finger in the direction of the ominous scene. "I think I just found the Kinimods!"

"What?" Ulrich blurted, clearly alarmed.

"Right over there!" Yumi restated, clearly frantic. "Ulrich, follow the Kinimods. Odd and I will chase from above."

"Wh-wha-!" Ulrich choked out in his usual raspy voice, confused. "What do you mean, from above-!"

Before the German could conclude his sentence, his two companions were off, leaving him all alone to do their bidding. He would be lying if he said he wasn't frightened the slightest bit; the Kinimods looked like a tough crowd.

Not wanting to put any more time to waste, Ulrich promptly flung his feet forward, initiating his, hopefully, succinct run.

To tell you the truth, he wasn't really worried about himself. At least he wasn't in the girl's shoes right now. The Kinimods seemed really barbaric.

But then again, they didn't attack Jeremie.

But still.. they fight with unending malice, it seems.

The Kinimods were just in his sights: they were moving in an unsettling pace for a marcher's gait, and sadly, the girl wasn't too far ahead. He put all of his efforts -his utmost strength- into catching up, his poor lungs barely scraping through. Every breath brought pain, every step brought even more.

The alley they were sprinting through eventually shifted towards an open produce market, the sellers like interrogators to the consumers and the sun's heat warming up the abundance of sustenance. Colorful umbrellas shaded the detailed stands, making everything much less sweltering in the heat. The Kinimods rushed throughout the place, wreaking such havoc among the innocent individuals. The layout gave them no choice but to break up their marcher's gait.

The black-clad teens managed to squirm their way through the throngs of disbanded people, their eyes keenly locked onto the subject in focus. Much yelps of fear broke out along with the sounds of fruits and vegetables tumbling to the ground from their rightful seats atop the tables, fueling the anger of certain vendors.

Surprisingly, the girl managed to leap and spring her slim figure over the stands with no trouble at all. The Kinimods followed close behind, though not with as much grace. They rudely shoved myriads of people out of their way, as Ulrich, not as flexible, politely edged around them.

He found this strategy to have slowed him down greatly. The flood of people aggravatingly kept him back.

Distressfully, the Kinimods soon received the message that an adversary was close behind, aiming to meddle in with their plans. In a desperate attempt to impede him, they rashly hurled manageable sized foodstuffs in his direction, not bothering to even give a glance back. Ulrich dodged a few fatally approaching his skull, but he couldn't dodge the ones aiming at his stomach. He got nailed numerous of times, sending him painfully plummeting towards the ground, clutching his stomach.

Ulrich cursed out all the largest profanities as the pursuiters disappeared into the hordes of people. He got up and painfully started again, increasing his run. Eventually, his adrenaline began to mask the pain in his abdomen. About fifty meters ahead, he could spot the unconventional mass of men and women dressed in black.

Unfortunately, the blonde impetuously chose to turn into a new alley, alarming Ulrich greatly. Almost all of the alleyways in Spain led to a dead end, especially in this highly urbanized part of town. The mouth was blocked by a tall oyster stand with no possible entry except under it, and as usual, the girl sprung herself gracefully over it, initiating Spanish curses from the vendor. Close behind, the Kinimods began to climb up the borderline buildings, cleverly using the adjacent window sills as sturdy footholds. Once on the roof, they darted off into pursuit again.

Now it was Ulrich's turn. Due to his vertigo which hampered any interaction with heights, climbing the building face was immediately extinguished from the list of choices. His meager flexibility crossed out the other chance of ever leaping over it.

Even though it was highly disrespectful to the vendor, Ulrich had no choice but to crawl under it to get into the alley. Taking a deep breath, he got onto his knees, instantly alarming the salesperson: his sharp, Spanish facial features scrunched together in frustration.

Ulrich lifted the thin fabric clothing the table. Thankfully, the table was supported by four separate legs instead of a solid box, giving Ulrich the ability to crawl through. He squirmed in between them, and once he emerged from the other side, he at once found his shirt collar trapped inside the fingers of a strong man.

It was, not surprisingly, the vendor.

"You immature little child!" he yelled in Spanish. "Stop playing your foolish games!"

Ulrich gave him a helpless look, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. His Spanish wasn't exactly his forte; he was only fluent in German and in French. His feet embarrassingly hovered a few inches above the ground due to the vendor's aggressiveness, and he was quickly losing time. Luckily, he knew how to sincerely apologize in Spanish, due to his concise lessons taught specially by the Spanish Queen -while she was alive, of course. He was going to need them for what he was going to do next.

Taking a deep breath, Ulrich guiltily hurled his foot at the vendor's face, sending tremors of pain throughout the seller. His hand unclasped from the thin fabric of his collar, and he fell to the ground along with Ulrich.

Hastily getting up to avoid another round of scolding, Ulrich ran away, yelling a rushed apology behind him. The salesperson swore in response, sorely rubbing his palm across his old tired face.

Once Ulrich was through the obstacle of an oyster stand, his eyes met the grimy floors and the vandalized walls of the alley. His thick shoes clomped against the hard concrete as he ran, irritatingly susceptible to giving away his location, and the thin line of sunlight above conveyed an eerie atmosphere to the passageway.

That's it. The place was eerie.

No Kinimods, no girl.

_"Damn that oyster man,"_ Ulrich thought to himself.

Suddenly, Ulrich felt like a piece of redemption was ripped from his inside. Seeing the Kinimods for the first time made it almost required to capture them, for it was his initial mission after Dominik rose again. It gave him a chance to redeem himself, to see if he still had that fighting mojo inside of him, and he failed.

It undoubtedly towed his spirits into the depths of despair.

But he kept on running. He can't give up. That girl is in danger, and he can't bear another death he could've saved.

Ulrich made a few arbitrary turns in the unfortunate labyrinth, going purely by his instincts. He knew the chance that he was going to find the commotion again was very slim, but he just had to keep on trying. He strained his ears, and he made his steps lighter.

Then, his ears caught something. Somewhat a British accent.

"Brynga, it's such..."

As Ulrich walked further down the path, the voice faded. He then backtracked, and the voice escalated again.

"...to see you again."

Sure of it, Ulrich took the aisle to his right.

Thankfully, he found it to be a one way alley, so there was absolutely no chance that he would go the wrong way. Once he met a dead end, he took a right. The voices progressively grew louder.

"What do y-you want?"

Before he knew it, Ulrich was facing another dead end. But something was different.

The blonde and the Kinimods were there.

Her slim palms were pressed against the wall behind her, and fear was etched into her beautiful features. _Ulrich_ thought of her as beautiful. Golden locks of hair fell around her shoulders, she had the perfect curves, and her fair skin was perfectly toned. Ulrich stood there frozen in stupor as he admired her traits -that is, until images of Yumi filled his mind to the brim.

Giving himself a mental slap, Ulrich took cover behind an ordinary pile of boxes, soiled with over dated food. He watched with keen eyes as the leader of the Kinimods advanced towards the blonde, having to switch points of view due to the large group of fighters blocking his way.

The leader kept a straight face as he placed a cold, slightly calloused hand beneath her slightly pointed chin; it just kept that cold emptiness. He raised her chin a bit so that her eyes could meet his, as if he was inspecting her.

To avoid his gaze, she cautiously looked to the side. His eyebrows scrunched in anger.

Now _that_ was rude.

His palm forcefully struck her left cheek, driving her face to the right along with some golden strands of hair, obstructing her line of sight. Her mouth became slightly agape, as if she was taking sharp, shallow breaths to persist the pain signified by the loud, deafening sound that came along.

"When I'm talking to you, face me, you insolent fool," he snarled.

The blonde slid down the brick wall, holding her hands up in defense. Her teeth were tightly clenched, and she didn't bother shaking the strands of hair out of her face. Her eyes were shut tight, tears threatening to stream from them. Her expression gave off one word.

_Mercy._

Ulrich was shocked from the picture. Bruises littered her fair skin, and dried blood bloomed from old cuts. A pink hand mark was still present from the hard slap.

What could she have possibly done to deserve this?

The blonde was numbed with pain as she held up her defensive gesture, still too afraid to face the Kinimods. Giving up, she finally let the tears flow.

"We're taking you to headquarters to have you questioned," the leader told her, fulfilling her utmost fear. He gave a sickly smirk as she paled.

"No, Dashiel!" she choked back in distress, the lump in her throat enlarging. "I don't know what you possibly want from me!"

As the leader's hands reached out to grab her, she gave out an ear-piercing shriek. Flailing her arms, she slapped them away. She shed more tears.

"Don't touch me!" she cried out.

Ulrich widened his eyes. _Where the hell are Odd and Yumi?_

As if on cue, a battle cry was vocalized, rippling across the whole alley.

"_YAAHHH!_" shouted a mature, feminine voice.

Ulrich looked up to find two of his accomplices, Odd and Yumi, atop the borderline buildings, staring down on them with wide grins. The sun's light casted glimmers around their fit bodies, transforming them into near Godly figures. The Japanese geisha just vaulted off the edge towards the uproar, unfolding her tessen fans with Odd close behind. Luckily, the buildings weren't so tall, so they were able to land on both feet (Odd on all fours) with their legs still intact.

Yumi instantly dove into battle, blocking off quite a few blows with her solid iron fans. A club would come straight at her and connect with the iron, then would be driven away from her with unbelievable force. She didn't dare slice anyone with the metal spokes; killing seemed gory at the moment. Instead, she would retaliate with kicks and defend with her fans, alternating between the two. It was a sharp-witted, versatile strategy which brought her many wins.

Odd, on the other hand, used blunt arrow heads instead of sharpened ones. This was to only stun the Kinimods instead of fatal penetration. For extra precaution, he only aimed precisely at limbs instead of the vitals. He didn't want to kill either.

"Where the hell is he?" Yumi grunted as she blocked yet another blow. "His head stuck in the clouds again?"

"Ulrich?" Odd asked as he again shot an arrow head at another opponent without giving a second glance. "I don't think that's it, Yumi, he's afraid of heights, remember?"

As Yumi glared at Odd, Ulrich shook his head out of the trance. His mind was cluttered and fogged with surprise at the sudden save. Finally realizing his duty, he shuffled through the fight, using the blunt of his sword to block anything coming at him. Once he reached the blonde, he tried to comfort her.

"Hey," he spoke, reaching his hand towards her.

As expected, the blonde slapped his hand away and clutched her head even tighter. "Leave me alone!" she snapped. She sounded Icelandic.

Ulrich scratched the back of his head cluelessly; he wasn't the kind of guy that would know how to comfort a girl. Nevertheless, he kept on trying. "I'm here to help," he continued in a cautious tone. This girl can slap hard, and he didn't want her to lash out on him again.

Taking his word because no British accent was present, the girl slowly lifted her head to face the brunette. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from endless bawling, and her hair was mangled though still managed to shine through all that grime. Ulrich's hand was extended towards her, and she took it hesitantly, her eyes widened with pure fear and naivety.

The brunette helped her up, and she instantly engulfed him into a hug. _Well_, she seemed to recover rather quickly.

"Thank you," she said, burying her face into his shoulder. Pulling away, she then continued, "Wh-who are you?"

Ulrich rubbed the back of his head with slight uneasiness. "U-Ulrich," he managed to stutter out. "Hehe..."

"Yes!"

Withdrawing from the hug, Ulrich turned towards the scene. The Kinimods were gone, and nothing remained. "What happened?"

"I guess they were beat," Yumi shrugged. "The leader called for a full retreat. Gah!"

Yumi had to make way for the purple-clad teen. Odd was instantly by the girl's side, all up in her face. She backed away slightly with a crooked smile, uncomfortable because of her invaded personal space. She chuckled half-heartedly at Odd's straightforwardness.

"And who might this be?" Odd asked, raising a blonde eyebrow. "I'm Odd, Odd Della-robbia! And that's Yumi, the gorgeous Asian lady over there."

"It's Brynga," she managed to utter out.

"I think we should take you to headquarters," Ulrich suggested, placing his hands on his hips. "You would be safer there, and I'm sure Jeremie would like to ask you a few questions. It'll sure help us a lot with defeating the Kinimods. Plus, you could be a new recruit here."

"Um, okay," she answered, shrugging with ease. "I guess it'll be interesting.."

"Cool!" Odd exclaimed.

As Ulrich opened the portal, Yumi couldn't help but ponder...

Who is she, really?

* * *

**Author's Note: Phew.. Well, that's it for me! This chapter was highly exhausting to write; I was overloading with details, haha. I hope you guys enjoyed this much better than the first version, because I added much more stuff here. I'm so proud of this! :)) Though the ending was a bit rushed... I'm sorry about the dialogue, I _really_ gotta improve on that. It's always so sloppy, ugh! While I fume, feel free to review guys! I really appreciate it! :)) Love you all!**

**P.S: Feel free to P.M. me whenever you want, guys! I'd really like to interact with you guys, my fanfiction friends, and I want to know you guys better! ;) PEACE OUT!**


	7. Meeting

**Hey everyone! I'm reading through my author's notes, and I realize that I use the word 'guys' a lot... And I use a lot of exclamation points. Haha, just to tell you all, I'm not really that enthusiastic in real life (though I'm not depressed either, I'm kinda in between). XD To tell you the truth, my author's notes make me look like I'm on a lifetime high.. Geez.**

**I'm also wondering.. French people must have a lot of money... I was scrolling through the Code Lyoko Evolution Online Shop, and I found a red hoodie that says 'Code Lyoko Evolution' on the back that I really want and... it's fifty one dollars. Gah, that's money I don't have! It sounds cheaper in euros, LOL!**

**Well, there goes my mouth again. Here's the next chapter! It's pretty short, with I think too much dialogue... Dang, Marin Lafitte is cute! Just make me stop.. *facepalm* Oh my God.. please just.. eugh, just read the chapter! :(**

* * *

Chapter 6: Meeting

Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi came out of the portal only to meet headquarters, Brynga following close behind. They find Jeremie and Aelita not in the arena, so they assumed for them to be busy attending some duties.

"You guys stay here," said Yumi, "and I'll look for them."

In response, Odd and Ulrich bobbed their heads in agreement. Brynga stood still, roaming her eyes in curiosity.

Now _this_ is a fighting arena.

Yumi walked to the infirmary, and found Jeremie tending a female fighter's wounds, her shirt rolled up a few inches. The room was fairly large, occupied by fifty or so cots that weren't so comfortable. The walls were painted a monotonous, off-white, and the floor was matching white linoleum. Counters were placed between the beds, serving as nightstands for the patients, and cabinets were mounted on the walls, filled with medicinal tools. This was built right after the final battle which took Dominik's life, so it was still relatively new. Aelita sat to the side, eyeing her boyfriend with not even the slightest bit of contempt; she didn't bother being jealous whenever Jeremie would spend time with another girl.

The fact that Jeremie wasn't even bold enough to ever dare eye another girl with yearning was enough to keep Aelita faithful. Plus, it was his job anyway since the Items of Schaeffer were out of their reach now. Ever since the murder of King Dominik, the government kept it locked somewhere only a few knew about, for the fear of its power falling into the wrong hands was too great. Same reason as to why when Jeremie went through that fatal stab in the chest, they couldn't use it. Aelita was infuriated that time. She despised the government; they always abused their 'authority.'

But nevertheless, Odd went to steal the Dragon's Barrette anyway. He didn't like public transportation; he might as well take advantage of his feline agility and vast fighting experience. Yumi and Ulrich shrugged, automatically agreeing to use it. Odd already had it before any of them knew, so might as well use it, right?

Sauntering over to the hospital cot, Yumi sat herself beside Jeremie, who was now wrapping some first-aid tape over some gauze compressed onto the girl's wound. She waited a few until the einstein was done, then tapped her finger against his shoulder.

"Jeremie," Yumi called in a calm tone.

"Oh, you're back," he replied, the corners of his lips pulling into a smile. "Anything new?"

Yumi's face became serious, and she nodded solemnly, sending shivers down Jeremie's spine. What now? "Yup," she replied, smacking her lips to emphasize the 'p,' all the while nodding slowly. She then gave a cold, sarcastic smile, and continued, "A lot has happened, and we also have a new visitor."

"Oh?" Jeremie said with surprise, lifting both eyebrows. It was then Aelita who leaned in to listen closely, undeniably intrigued. "Is she a new recruit?"

"Let's just stick with that assumption..." Yumi trailed off, examining her nails.

"Well, okay then," Jeremie replied, getting up and off the cot. "Show me to her."

Fulfilling the simple request, Yumi stepped off the cot as well, pausing to fix her shirt. Then without another word, she plodded out the door, her combat boots giving off distinct clomps. A shrug from Aelita, and Jeremie followed her out as well.

The blonde and pinkette walked out to meet eyes with a hurt, but still beautiful, girl with golden locks of hair. Jeremie was horrified to see all of those cuts on her skin, giving him all the reason to want to attack the government.

When will they ever realize that the Healing Hand will bring faster recovery, which will easily bring fallen warriors back up?

"Oh my God," the einstein began, gazing over to Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi. "What happened to her?"

Brynga averted her eyes towards the ground, acting ashamed. She didn't really want to talk, so she let Ulrich talk for them.

"She was being chased by the Kinimods," Ulrich answered simply.

"Oh?" Jeremie said again, raising an eyebrow. "So you guys saw the Kinimods? What were they up to?"

"Who knows?" Odd chimed in, shrugging. "They obviously wanted something from her, and we saved her before she was captured."

"So the Kinimods wanted her captured? Interesting..."

Yumi nodded in agreement. Interesting indeed. She can't be trusted.

"What is your name?" Aelita asked warmly, giving her a cordial smile.

"Brynga," the blonde answered, giving her a polite curtsy. "Brynga, your majesty."

"Well, Brynga, we're going to need a few private minutes of our own," Aelita spoke, crossing her arms. "We need to discuss confidential matters."

* * *

Once they left Brynga to hang in the arena, the quintet entered Jeremie's room, the second meeting since the Kinimods revealed themselves, which was just yesterday. This wasn't a good thing, since it seems the Kinimods caused so much trouble in a short period of time. Too much.

Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi sat atop Jeremie's bed, the mattress giving a little shake from the sudden pressure of weight. Jeremie, as usual, sat on the chair that went with his writing desk which Aelita chose to lean against.

One of Aelita's fists were pressed to her lips, making it evident that she was deep in thought. Jeremie, who felt the need to lead, spoke up first.

"This has gone too far," Jeremie started, shaking his head. "We need to take the Kinimods into serious contemplation. Look at what they did to Brynga!"

"I suggest," Ulrich began coolly, laying back atop the covers, "that we call the police."

"Don't you get it?" Jeremie started, throwing his arms up in frustration. "We are the police. Seeing that we can't seem to outpower them, they have become serious offenders. Look at them, they even have the guts to stand up against the Queen!"

"Forget about that stuff," Yumi spoke, waving it off. "We'll just keep on fighting, simple as that. The real problem is, what are we going to do about that Icelandic Popsicle?"

"Yumi," Aelita spoke in a tone of warning.

"No no, Yumi's right," Jeremie contradicted, gazing over to Ulrich. "So you said that the Kinimods were after her, am I correct?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Ulrich answered with a shrug.

"That means that she probably has information they want," Jeremie replied, unlatching his door. He took a peek through the crack he opened, finding Brynga surrounded by a immense number of dumbfounded boys. "We'll train her as a new recruit, all the while keeping a close eye on her. I'll also question her for a while to gain a few pinpoints on the Kinimods. It'll sure help a lot."

Aelita then cleared her throat politely to let Jeremie know that she wished to speak. He nodded with consent. "Ulrich, as the strongest warrior of Eurasia's Army, I assign you to protect Brynga." Aelita then averted her eyes to the brunette, as if to dare him to object. A glint of patronization formed inside her emerald eyes. "You will teach her, and fill her in on how things work around here. We can't risk losing her to the Kinimods; she seems vital in their indistinct plans."

Yumi widened her eyes in disbelief; she found the Icelandic distasteful already. If that popsicle dared trifle with Ulrich, she _swore_ she will...

Much to her detestment, Ulrich nodded, saying yes to Aelita's request. The pinkette eyes seemed to relax with noticeable relief. Of course he didn't like the suggestion, but the pinkette was always kind to everyone, except maybe Dominik. But that was a different matter.

"Fine," Ulrich grumbled with yet another shrug.

"Okay then, it's settled," Jeremie announced proudly, giving out a sigh of relief. "I'll go ahead and tend her wounds."

Odd fist pumped the air, a goofy grin upon his face. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Operation: Brynga is ado! But I called dibs, Ulrich."

"Operation Brynga?" Yumi asked with a tinge of annoyance. "Oh.. um yeah, okay." Opening the door, Yumi looked back upon her group of friends, and Ulrich swore he could see a glimpse of hurt in her eyes, as if she disapproved of this arrangement. Could she possibly be jealous?

The Japanese geisha walked through without another word, leaving Ulrich wondering in oblivion.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Have you guys noticed that you can't put the heart emoticon in your reviews? Haha, I've been reading through them, and I'm always wondering why there are random 3's everywhere in your reviews! The 'less than' sign doesn't show up, haha. LOL, well anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You guys are awesome! :)  
**

**Gah, excuse me while I marvel at the beautiful new site theme! I love it, everything looks so much cuter and brighter! (: ****Since this chapter is pretty short, I'll be sure to update again today! :))**


	8. Test Run

**Hey guys! Like I promised, I will also post up another chapter today. So here it is! (: It's pretty lengthy, so I hope you guys appreciate it! Here's chapter 7. ((:**

* * *

Chapter 7: Test Run

"Yumi," Ulrich called in a controlling, yet still calm tone. "Yumi!"

The brunette was in a brisk stroll after the Japanese geisha, who walked with her back turned to him in a slow amble. After that uncanny exit from Jeremie's room, he wanted answers. He wanted to know if she was okay and possibly rectify whatever is wrong if there even _is_ a problem.

Yumi kept on walking as if she didn't acknowledge him. Her hands became fists and her straight posture leaned subtly ahead. In anger, she enlarged the size of her strides. Luckily, she had long legs so that wasn't a tiring change. She wasn't angry; she was just annoyed. Annoyed at what, she wasn't really sure.

Which is why the last thing she wanted was to speak to Ulrich. For some reason, she felt that he was remotely responsible for her annoyance.

Right, because she's jealous. Jealous that Ulrich is going to have to be Brynga's personal bodyguard, be with her 24/7.

Widening her eyes with sudden realization, Yumi stopped dead in her tracks. She smacked her forehead hard with the palm of her hand, punishing herself for her idiocy. _Why did she have to do that?_ She needed to fix this. She's being immature.

"Yumi."

Ulrich seized her shoulder and pulled her around to face him. He had that soft feeling upon his facial expression, a face of worry and hurt.

Yumi threw her arms up in frustration. "What?" she accidentally spat with too much harshness. Running her hand through stray strands of hair, she stared at him with sharp, brown eyes.

"I want to know if something's bothering you," Ulrich said. Looking into his eyes, anyone can tell that the response was filled with genuine concern. "You didn't seem to be happy when you left Jeremie's room."

Yumi sighed deeply. "You know what, just forget about it, Ulrich," she replied, shaking her head.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

He didn't seem to buy it. Something was definitely wrong, due to the sudden hostility her words possessed. "Look, if it's about my assignment to Brynga... I just want to let you know that I'm not so fond of it either..."

All at once, Yumi's eyes flashed with anger. "God damn it, Ulrich, I'm not jealous!"

"I didn't say you were." Ulrich's lips transformed into a mischievous smirk, as if he was teasing her. He took sudden amusement from Yumi's coming facial expression: flushed cheeks and an agape mouth.

"Don't you have something to do?" Yumi retorted, averting her eyes to the floor. She then crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently against the wooden floor. "Training Brynga, I mean." She really didn't want to suggest it, though she would do anything to get out of this one.

"Oh...right," he said. He paused for a brief second. "So everything's fine, right?"

Yumi gave him a reassuring smirk. "Yes. Don't worry so much about me, Ulrich. I can take care of myself."

Directing a curt nod towards her, Ulrich walked away, detaching himself from her almost fiery gaze. The whole way, he was grinning to himself. Deep, deep down, into the deepest pits of Yumi's mind, she really had at _least_ a bit of a more-than-friends feeling towards him. Their 'relationship' might not have to stop after all.

* * *

"It's nothing serious," said Jeremie, examining the cuts littered across Brynga's arm. "Your cuts have healed mostly already; you just have to clean off the dried blood. And for your bruises, they'll most likely go away on their own in several days time."

The four: Jeremie, Brynga, Aelita, and Odd were back inside the infirmary, Aelita and Odd sitting atop the nearby cot, their legs crossed. Jeremie was sitting on a cot beside Brynga, first aid spray in hand.

"Why, thank you, Jeremie," Brynga said in her Icelandic accent, making her sound almost.. alluring. She then pecked him lightly on the cheek, sending flashes of pink to surface upon the einstein's face.

Aelita's posture seemed to have noticeably straightened in response to that little intimate and unexpected gesture. Noticing her tense up, Odd placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort her. The pinkette turned to face her eccentric friend, and in turn, he gave her a small grin, telling her that there is absolutely nothing to fret about.

The einstein's eyes seemed to have widened in shock. "U-uh no problem Brynga!" he replied with feigned coolness. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he gave her an artificial smile, his redness refusing to fade. Looking away from Brynga, his line of sight wandered across the room and subconsciously settled upon Odd's face of warning. It was directed at at Jeremie.

Odd's head seemed to jerk in Aelita's direction, and obeying, Jeremie turned on his girlfriend's face. It was despondent, looking down at the floor.

Jeremie cleared his throat, facing Brynga again. "So," he began with newfound bravery, "you're all clear now. Just take a shower to wash off all the blood, and then you can walk to the battlefield, where Ulrich will be waiting."

Nodding with a ravishing smile, Brynga hopped off the cot and left the room without another word. "Thank you Jeremie," she said again, glimpsing back towards his direction.

Sighing deeply, Jeremie hopped off the cot as well. "And I'll be sure to question her later," he mumbled to himself.

Aelita gave him an obscured grin and walked out the room, Jeremie reacting with another sigh of relief. Odd walked up to him, patted him on the back, and gave him a curt bow.

"I'm happy to be of service," he said with a goofy grin.

"Thanks for that, Odd," Jeremie replied.

* * *

Brynga took a shower. Then she put on a fresh set of clothes. Sighing with pure satisfaction, she took her time walking through the arena to find that particular door which corresponded with the one and only battlefield.

The arena just consisted of walls made from beige wood. The floor and ceiling were also paneled with a similar wood, the ceiling supported by long sturdy beams. The other five thousand warriors of Eurasia's army were randomly strewn across the vast room, sparring one another for decent training. It wasn't crowded at all; the arena was just that big. Also scattered across the room were punching sacks and wooden posts, used for training amongst oneself. The walls were crowded with separate doors, some leading into female dorms and some leading to male dorms, one to the weapon shed, mess hall, battlefield, and the recently developed infirmary.

That's when she realized that she didn't know where the heck she was going. Her eye twitched with annoyance.

"Hey, Brynga!"

The Icelandic's eyes shot up to find Odd swiftly sauntering towards her with a large wave, his flamboyant purple clothing standing out against the boring beige walls of the arena. Shaking her head, she grinned with utter amusement as she also took note of his outlandish hairdo: a single cone shape pointed to an end which seemed to defy the works of gravity. "Oh, hello, Odd," Brynga greeted back, flashing him a small grin.

"You seem lost," he began the conversation, smiling with amusement at her lost face. "Where're you heading to?"

Without hesitation to give even the slightest shred of thought, she answered, "To the battlefield. Jeremie told me to meet up with Ulrich."

"It's right over there," Odd answered, directing his finger in the direction of transparent glass double doors. Averting his eyes to the panel, he then continued, "They open in command of the panel over there. Only the main branch is given full access, though I think einstein rigged it so you can get in."

"How will they know it's me?"

"Fingerprints," he answered straight away, absentmindedly waving the tip of his index finger. "Einstein said something about the known identities of everyone living in the continent, though I don't get it." He shrugged.

Brynga laughed at his dry humor, setting off a smile upon Odd's facial features. Nodding, she then said, "I got it, Odd. I thank you for the help."

Waving with his index and middle finger, Odd began his leave. That is, until something that he was in desperate need to be reminded of popped into his mind. "Uh, Brynga," he started, rubbing the back of his head, "you know about that little kiss on the cheek you gave einstein? I know that you only meant it as a friendly notion, but princess didn't like it at all... Just lay low, okay?"

"Why did she have a problem with it?" she asked, genuinely confused.

As if in response, Odd seemed to have turned ten shades redder to the face. "I-uh.. Um.." he clutched the back of his head. "Well, it's just that-" Too embarrassed to say it, Odd began to gesture around Brynga's body. "Um it's just that.. uh.." He then mildly whined in response to his fluster. "You're uh.. _different_ from the other girls... Yeah, that's the word." Odd racked his head. He was supposed to be easy and smooth with this kind of field! He's the cassanova for crying out loud!

Brynga tilted her head in stupor. "What?"

"Nevermind," Odd blurted out, giving her a feigned laugh.

"Well, okay," Brynga said, the smile returning to her face. She then shrugged with ease, and said, "Tell Aelita that I give her my sincerest of apologies."

"O-of course."

When Brynga left, the little color remaining on Odd's face faded, leaving him with his usual pale complexion. He smacked his large forehead with the palm of his hand, shutting his eyes shut with sheer embarrassment.

* * *

Brynga entered the battlefield to find Ulrich in a black tank and pants, beating a wooden post with what seemed sheer strength. The doors opened with no problem; when she placed her hand on the panel's interface, the doors slid to the side to make room for her to enter.

Hearing the swift sound of the doors opening, Ulrich pivoted around to find Brynga wandering her eyes in wonder. Her green orbs didn't seem to have held a glint of amazement. After all, the battlefield was just a large space with gravel flooring. It was also really arid in here.

Ulrich sighed through his nose. Might as well begin getting used to being this girl's one and only guardian. Well, this might get interesting.

Brynga's eyes traveled to the battlefield's shields standing on the far left. Behind them stood a large control panel with continuously blinking buttons. Leaning against the shields stood several swords in their scabbards. She figured it was Ulrich who fought with those.

With not the slightest bit of contempt or happiness, Ulrich began to speak to Brynga. "So, Brynga, you think you'll be okay with a sword?"

Brynga seemed to have jolted out of a trance considering her sudden unsettled expression. "Um... yes," she answered, nodding slowly. Her line of sight stayed locked on the group of swords. Well, this is going to take a lot of work.

Giving her a terse nod, Ulrich walked to the swords without ordering her to follow. Thankfully. Brynga couldn't help but keep her feet glued to the ground. A great deal of thoughts flooded her mind.

"Here," Ulrich began, pointing the tip of a sword in her direction, still covered in its scabbard. "Catch."

Without warning, Ulrich promptly flung the sword to Brynga with a mere flick to the wrist. The Icelandic barely managed to catch the sword, slightly stumbling backwards from the sudden weight which occupied her hands. She then clasped the scabbard around her thin waist. Moving one of her hands to the hilt, she slid the sword from its respective safety cover.

It was a Zweihänder. A _very_ large Zweihänder. Brynga increased her grip on the hilt, her knuckles turning a ghostly shade of white. Much to her uneasiness, Ulrich gestured towards the wooden puppets standing in their lonesome, each at least ten meters away from each other in a diamond formation.

"Use them as practice targets," Ulrich said in a dull tone. "What I mean is, try slicing the heads off some of them."

Nodding in response like an eager dog, Brynga turned to face her 'targets.' Ulrich didn't say another word, who was leaning casually against the shields with his arms crossed over his chest. It was like he was indifferent to her progress. No tips, no encouragement.

Not that she needed it.

It wasn't that Ulrich disliked Brynga; he just wasn't that good a teacher. He had no idea on how to teach Brynga, and it was the exact same thing with Aelita.

Which is why he felt terrible as he watched Brynga plummet to the ground after she clumsily missed the puppet's neck.

"Brynga!"

Ulrich's eyes enlarged as he briskly shuffled towards the fallen warrior. She was already halfway through getting up when he reached her. Placing one hand to support her back and the other grasping both her hands, Ulrich helped Brynga get on her feet again.

"Are you okay?"

Nodding, Brynga freed both hands from Ulrich's grasp to dust herself off. But before she could, pain shot throughout her ankle, causing her to stumble down again.

"Ugh!" she choked out. On impulse, Ulrich's hands flew back to their previous position, keeping her from falling again.

"You seem to have bruised your ankle," Ulrich began, examining her sandal-exposed feet. He almost sounded apologetic. "But don't worry so much, I'm guessing you'll still be able to walk."

"Yeah," Brynga answered, nodding slowly. "The pain caught me by surprise. I'll manage."

"You should see Jeremie for some-"

Ulrich paused for a second, averting his eyes to their intertwined hands. Following his gaze, Brynga took notice to them too. Jolting away, color rose to the Icelandic's cheeks as she completed his sentence: "-ice. Thank you, Ulrich."

Avoiding her gaze by looking down on the gravel, Ulrich mumbled, "I guess we'll continue tomorrow."

Brynga agreed.

* * *

Another long day of working: done. One last thing had to be completed before her resting: the final report of the day. This was done every night, right before #625 could sleep; a daily assignment only specially appointed to the lead spy. There was just one restriction: this also had to be confidential from the others.

Walking into a bathroom stall after making sure no roommates were present, #625 pressed her finger against the tiny earpiece. Hearing the little tidbit of static which always occurred to signal to her when to speak, #625 began: "Dashiel, the test run has been initiated and finalized. It has been proved successful." She said all this in a smooth monotone, all needed to show professionalism and refinement.

"Perfect," she heard Dashiel say in his usual cold and empty tone of voice. "Continue this little plan of ours, and Eurasia's Army will meet their downfall as a whole."

Sighing, #625 spoke, slightly embarrassed by their historical reference: "Yes, hopefully plan: _Cut off the Head_ will succeed, and if it proves well, we'll be unbeatable."

Then, Dashiel took the last say: his evil chuckle resonated through the speaker.

* * *

**Author's Note: Gah, this chapter was boring as heck, even more so the chapter before. Look... I'm really sorry guys, but I hit major writer's block, and this had to take place, and I can't seem to make this any more interesting than it's already low level of appeal. I really hope you guys like the last bit, though, that was really fun to write! :)**

**Oh, and P.S: I just fully remodeled my profile, it's fully organized now. (: You all should check it out: it has everything you guys need to know: completed fics, fics in progress, and my all time favorite: Upcoming fics! It also has a few facts about myself, if you guys are interested. (:**

**Well, that's it for me! Peace out!**


	9. Runaway

**Hey guys! As usual, thank you all for all of the great reviews! You guys make me feel awesome inside.. Haha, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Here it goes!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Runaway

#625's mind was flooded with dreams as she slept, continuing the one she had just the night before:

Her father's minute knife glinted in the moonlight, ready to kill its first prey. His fingers were clasped firmly around his wife's neck, firmly enough to keep her from getting away, but not firmly enough to gag her. The princess, their daughter, stayed huddled in her comfortable corners out of fear of being spotted. She was supposed to be in bed, but with all the ruckus, she couldn't even sleep a wink. She clutched the edges of her taffeta dress, tears still streaming. She didn't want to witness her mother's death. So, she closed her eyes.

There was a grunt. Then a plunge. And finally, her mother's screams.

The princess opened her eyes and watched as her mother slid down the banner adorned wall, holding her neck in a futile attempt to close the sliver. A bloodied knife was still in her father's possession, facing what he had just done with flashes of... guilt spreading across his face. The princess cried even more until her sobs became clearly audible.

Her father's neck whipped his head in her direction, freezing her in her tracks. Her eyes widened in fear, and she clutched the edges of her dress all the more tightly, deathly afraid of her father's next moves. He opened his mouth to most likely scold her, but then closed it after thinking better of it.

He became content with one command. Pointing a long, shaky finger in the direction of the staircase, he yelled, "GO BACK TO YOUR CHAMBERS, NOW!"

Before he could even say the last word, the princess bolted up the stairs, her father's wasted face enough to scare her away. Infuriated, she slammed the door to her bedroom closed and cried for hours.

Once she was finished, she eyed the pouch of coins sitting on her nightstand, the coins she had been stealing little by little from her father's room night by night. That's when she realized that all this time, she had been planning her escape from this awful castle. She just didn't know when she would actually leave.

Tonight seemed like the time.

* * *

Another morning sneakily approached, the earth's habitual way of waking up. As the sun rose, countless bands of orange and yellow blemished the smooth consistency of the dark night sky. The recently developed colors discolored the clouds clinging low near the horizon, transforming them into gorgeous hues of orange, yellow, pink, and occasionally, purple, turning the sky into a beautiful and short -making it the most precious- light show. But only a few truly basked in its beauty.

Unfortunately, Ulrich and Brynga couldn't watch as the sun rose behind them; their training period was keeping their minds and sights heavily occupied. Aelita planned this to take place so early that no one else in Eurasia's Army was awake, easily keeping this confidential like they desired it to be. The main reason for this was so that the other soldiers wouldn't question as to why she was being treated differently, presumably causing gossip to spread like wildfire.

Having just woken was somewhat taking toll on the pair's performance. The murk which came from their previous sleep clogged their minds, making their reflexes slower and their strength less apparent. But if someone wasn't as observant, they wouldn't notice at all, considering how well they were masking their slight hindrance.

But, as usual, Brynga was being clumsy, sluggishly slicing at the puppets due to what seems to be a lack of skill with wielding swords.

Ulrich didn't seem to mind, of course. He was actually laughing at her ineptness. He found it pretty cute.

Wait... did he just think that?

The brunette shook his head to clear his consciousness of all that thought. That's when he found the battlefield empty of all sound. Opening his eyes, he found Brynga to be looking at him, a genuine look of hurt upon her face. She seemed to have given up.

Receiving the message, Ulrich left his comfortable corners at the battlefield's shields and walked up to Brynga with a reassuring smile. He wanted to make her feel comfortable, despite his lack of teaching skills. He found Brynga to be a really kind person who was desperate to learn, so there was no reason to be all dull and indifferent towards her.

"What are you having trouble with, Brynga?" Ulrich asked her.

"May I please change my sword?" she requested warmly, almost... guiltily? Then with a light feigned chuckle, she continued, "I really can't handle a sword as big as this..."

Truth to be told, Ulrich wasn't expecting that request. Due to her really great agility, he found her to have great potential, resulting in her being given the large Zweihänder. He guessed he must've overestimated her too much. "Of course, Brynga," Ulrich replied. "I'll hand you a katana. It's much smaller, lighter, and I've mastered it, so it'll probably be easy for me, too."

Grinning with gratitude, Brynga turned to watch Ulrich saunter towards the shields with the Zweihänder in hand. He placed it next to the other swords, and picked up a smaller-looking sword -two of them, to be exact. The brunette kept one of them as he gave the other to Brynga, who seemed to become much much more comfortable with this one. She unsheathed the sword from it's much smaller scabbard, and again began to practice.

She still seemed to have some trouble. Brynga was still clumsy with it, though she seemed to be substantially more in control. Ulrich laughed even harder.

"No, Brynga, use two hands for more control."

"Brynga, use less force; you'll kill yourself with that thing!"

"_Brynga_!"

"This is so difficult!" she exclaimed with a light-hearted laugh. She tried again and again, though it still stayed obvious that she wasn't getting any better. It seemed like the wooden puppets were dodging her blows, though -of course- they stayed planted to the ground as always.

Moving up behind her, Ulrich wrapped his arms around Brynga, closing his hands over hers. This undoubtedly caught her by surprise. Might as well help her before he himself gets annoyed.

Aelita needs her to learn, and it's no use just standing there and watching Brynga make a total fool of herself. Keeping that in mind, Ulrich slowly and gently guided her with this swing.

The head sliced cleanly off with a satisfying swish.

Brynga turned her head around to face Ulrich, who still had his arms around her, almost... protectively. She could feel her cheeks slowly heating up and her heart rate speeding. "But.. it's not as difficult when you're here to help.." she trailed off with a large grin.

A mimicking smile tugged at the corners of Ulrich's lips. Her clear green eyes captivated his mind into her never ending trance.. She was so alluring..

"Um.. Ulrich, you can let go now," Brynga pointed out, breaking the silence as if it was as smooth as glass.

"Huh- yeah..." Ulrich scrambled to give the Icelandic some space.

Laughing, Brynga continued again with much skill, much to his surprise. But his mind didn't stick to that. Why was he acting like this?

Their post-sleepiness seemed to have disappeared.

* * *

Yumi met Jeremie, Odd, and Aelita at their usual lunch table after getting her food with a thanks to Rosa. And of course, the Japanese geisha couldn't help but take notice of Ulrich and Brynga's absences.

She slammed her metallic tray against the metallic table harder than she meant to, undeniably causing her three companions to turn their heads her way. Her spoon clinked against the glass of her coffee mug and her eggs and pancakes flopped atop her plastic plate, further emphasizing her rash aggressiveness. To play it off, she sat on the chair gently, but brought back the gray cloud as she despondently mixed her coffee.

"Good morning, Yumi," greeted Aelita happily. Yumi was still not used to the fact that Aelita chose to eat here when she could have five star dishes waiting for her back at the castle. But she just assumed that it was Aelita's modesty taking toll.

"Oh, hey, Lita," Yumi mumbled, still not eating.

Odd furrowed his brow. "You sure are sour today," he pointed out, crossing his arms. "What's wrong?"

Yumi purposely avoided the question. "Where are Ulrich and Brynga?"

"Private training session," Aelita replied with not the slightest tinge of awkwardness or guilt. Nothing, like it was a normal, casual thing. Yumi raised an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look. Now that is uncool.

"Since the Kinimods seem like they're after Brynga, we assumed it was best to train her to her greatest extent. For protection purposes only," Jeremie interjected, obviously desperate to reconcile everything. He didn't want any arguing to occur.

"But why Ulrich?" Yumi asked, noticeably building up the anger.

"You hate her guts," said Odd, saying it as if it was nothing unusual. "And I don't teach self-defense."

"I don't _hate_ her," Yumi denied, taking a swig of coffee. She noticeably winced from how surprisingly hot it was. Clearing her throat, she then continued, "Hate's a strong word.."

"Whatever," Jeremie said, taking a bit out of his own stack of flapjacks. Daintily wiping his mouth, he then said, "I've got a plan."

Odd's face instantly brightened. "Yes, a mission!" he exclaimed with pure contentment, fist pumping the air. His outburst sent some curious heads turning their way, and Jeremie forcefully shoved him back into his seat, hopefully to play off the sudden break in casual conversation.

"Odd, please don't yell," shushed Aelita firmly, but not hostilely. "We want to keep this confidential."

"Sorry, princess."

"Anyway," said Jeremie, clearing his throat. "I have a plan concerning with how we are going to deal with the Kinimods. But we need Ulrich here. This might be the first step in getting rid of the Kinimods once and for all." He was grinning from ear to ear, probably with gratitude and satisfaction. Or excitement.

"Hang on, I'll go get them," said Yumi with an obvious tinge of irritation.

Leaving her tray on the table, Yumi stood up and left without another word. She didn't care that she was wasting Rosa's hard work; all she could think about was how Ulrich and Brynga were doing. They were definitely sparring. Which usually means a lot of ways to topple onto each other... And many ways to bruise each other.

That kinda cheered her up a bit.

* * *

Ulrich and Brynga opted for going over hand-to-hand combat, wanting a break from the swords. She was actually doing pretty well at it, Ulrich thought, but of course, she was still inexperienced. Brynga blocked his punches with her arms, but kept her legs exposed, a common error to most fighters. Ulrich took notice to this, and gave a roundhouse kick to her legs, tripping her over. She fell on her back, and Ulrich instantly lunged for her, securing her wrists and thighs.

Brynga tried to get out from under him, but the attempts remained futile. Then, finding it was no use, she began to relax little by little, gradually pulling down Ulrich's defenses as well. Then finally, he untensed his arms. The two took this time to relax, to calm down their breathing, as blush undeniably crept their way up the Icelandic's cheeks.

Subconsciously, Ulrich followed suit.

Brynga, having no idea of what to do, laughed. Awkwardly, Ulrich rolled to the left and laid there on the gravel next to her. He grabbed fistfuls of the rock and concentrated on piercing his palms, to punish himself for his stupidity.

_What the hell is he doing?_

Flinging the gravel back to its respective place, Ulrich stood up, dusting himself off. Brynga eyed him carefully as she did as well. Trying to break the sudden silence that set between them, Ulrich then mumbled, "I'm going to get breakfast."

Then he left without another word. Lost and confused, Brynga followed.

* * *

When Ulrich entered the lunchroom, he bumped into Yumi, who was going to exit. She looked at him in disbelief, then snapped. "What were you two doing?" she said in a slightly hostile tone. "Jeremie's been looking for you."

"Just lay off, will you?" Ulrich spat back, marching past her to get a tray. Yumi followed, her fists clenched. "I didn't realize how late it was."

Yumi narrowed her eyes, shooting imaginary darts in Brynga's direction.

So he _was_ having fun with that popsicle.

Yumi marched back to the table, Odd and Aelita taking note of her sudden exasperated look. Soon after, Ulrich and Brynga arrived, choosing to sit across from each other. Jeremie took that as the signal to start. "So, like I said, I have a plan. Remember that mission we had at the Square several months ago?"

Everyone gave mimicking nods. Who _couldn't_ remember? They almost died.

"Well," he continued, interlacing his fingers then placing them on the shockingly cold table, "we're having another one, except Brynga is our bait this time. It seems like the Kinimods want her captured."

Odd spoke up. "May I remind you that we almost died that time? It doesn't seem like a very good idea, einstein."

Jeremie seemed unfazed. "I don't know about you guys, but I want to get rid of the Kinimods, and in order to do that, I insist we must find out where they're hiding!" He pulled out a tiny square-shaped device, which resembled a chip. "A global positioning system. Yumi will be putting this on the leader's back, and when she does, that is when we will retreat. I will hotwire our cellphones so that Yumi can signal us when she's finished. The objective is to locate the Kinimods' hideout by keeping an eye on the GPS for the next few days."

"Sounds great Jeremie," Yumi mumbled, though she didn't like the idea of her being the one to do the big part. She paused a bit. "How will I know which one is the leader?"

"Black coat and fedora," Brynga interjected, making a big show of shivering from fear. "His name is Dashiel Marwick."

Yumi raised a suspicious eyebrow. "How do you know his name?"

"While he was taunting me in the alley, he told me."

"Aelita and I still have to work a few details out," Jeremie clarified, moving his gaze to the pinkette. "The mission will take place in a few days."

Aelita nodded in response. "By then, you guys better be ready."

Then, the group dispersed with their trays in hand. Jeremie, having almost forgotten, tapped the Icelandic's shoulder lightly. Brynga turned, giving him a questioning look. "Brynga," he began once he got her attention, "I'm sorry for the sudden notice, but I need to talk to you."

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry to be so vague on #625's past. If you haven't caught on yet, her dreams are reminiscences of her past before she became part of the Kinimods. Yes, she was a princess. Yes, her father killed her mother (with lots of guilt) at the age of seventeen. And yes, she ran away from her castle. Now only one question remains: Which country did she rule?**

**Oh, and P.S: I'm thinking on working on a new story! It's called 'Rich Man, Poor Man.' Check it out on my profile (under upcoming fics)! :) I am really really excited for this, guys.. Please please please PM me what you think! It'll help a lot! :)**


	10. Suspiciously Defensive

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry if the last chapter got any of you guys mad. Hopefully this will make it up to you guys.. (: Thank you for all the great reviews; I really appreciate it, and thanks for being good sports! :))**

* * *

Chapter 9: Suspiciously Defensive

Brynga didn't think much of it as Jeremie gave her that simple request. Besides, Jeremie might be the leader of Eurasia's Army due to the Queen's death, but he will still always be a teen. So, she nodded and began to follow his lead towards wherever he was taking her to.

Jeremie seemed to take her up the stairs. Then, on the second floor, there it was, an intricate wooden door carved into various designs. There, Jeremie stopped and opened the door, the hinges giving into an ear-piercing shriek. He pushed it open and motioned for Brynga to enter.

After Brynga nodded her thanks, she walked right in, into a library, that is. It looked ancient, like no one has ever entered it in years. It gave off an eerie vibe, though it didn't unsettle either of them at all; there was nothing to be afraid about. It's not like the room was haunted.

Jeremie then gestured to a chair, and Brynga took a seat. Once she was seated, Jeremie took the seat right across from her. "So.." Jeremie began, quite at a loss with all the questions swimming in the sea of his mind, desperate to be asked first. "It seems like the Kinimods are after you, Brynga."

In response, the Icelandic nodded solemnly. "I am aware."

"I want to know... if you," Jeremie was fiddling with his fingers, trying to distract his line of sight. Now that he thought about it, it felt a bit awkward just sitting there. "if you know anything about whatever it is that they're planning."

Brynga kept a genuine look of confusion and naivety plastered across her beautiful face. She shook her head lightly. "I'm sorry Jeremie, but I don't."

Jeremie didn't seem disappointed, or surprised either.. Instead, he kept up a stoic face, keeping a close eye on the Icelandic. The slightest change in movement could give away her lying. If she answered negatively to this question, like she just did, all of his other questions will do no use. "Are you sure, Brynga?"

Brynga looked down at her own fingers. "I'm sure. They just came chasing me all of a sudden."

Jeremie seemed to have perked up, because that's when he thought of a few more to ask. "I'm sorry to be so intrusive..." he trailed off, thinking his next few words carefully. "What have you been doing for these past few months? Those scrapes and bruises looked really bizarre."

Brynga looked up, and Jeremie found her green orbs glossed over with tears. "I-I'm sorry Jeremie, but that's my own business," she answered, a little choked up.

Jeremie lowered his head and nodded with understanding. "I apologize for that," he said with indisputable guilt. "I just want to know one more detail... have you had any relations with King Dominik, any disputes?"

Brynga shook her head. "No. How could I? I never did anything unusual. I didn't know King Dominik personally, absolutely not."

Jeremie nodded, absorbing all the information. "Very well. You may go."

* * *

Odd, Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremie, and Aelita spent the rest of their mornings welcoming in more recruits. Today was also the day where the new uniform change was expected to be enforced; everyone was ordered to wear white due to the Kinimods' signature color, black. Odd couldn't help but marvel at the fact of how cool it would look if they were on the verge of battle: Eurasia's army would stand on one side wearing nothing but white, and the Kinimods would stand on the other, wearing nothing but black. He had this whole talk about dark and light colliding.

Hundreds of recruits in a widespread of ages were recruited into the army, a lot of which had little to no fighting experience at all. It was Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd's responsibility to whip them into shape, after all. Jeremie would help with the unknown recruits, soldiers who had no idea where they wanted to go. The blonde would either guide them through their path, or he would just take them in and teach them other things: navigation, technology, and/or medicine. They did need more medics when you thought about it.

It was halfway through spring, the ending of March. The leaves were fully replenished to their normal green, and the backyard was blooming with flowers. The five were introducing themselves to the new recruits with warm smiles and handshakes. After just ten minutes, this became highly monotonous for them, but not for Aelita and Odd. Odd was gregarious; he talked to anyone. He cracked cheesy jokes, which some girls actually giggled at, much to his happiness, and he was able to hold conversations with anyone. It got a bit irritating, though, when he began to hold up the line. And for Aelita, well, let's just say that their reactions to meeting the Queen were all different, and she was flattered throughout the whole day. A few would've fainted, if it weren't for the fact that they were entering an army. Weakness isn't accepted here.

Unfortunately, the new faces emptied out of their heads as soon as they came.

Aelita wore a white denim jacket over a white tiered dress. Odd wore a plain white t-shirt with a pair of white skinny jeans and high-tops.

Yumi, on the other hand, was fuming. It didn't look like it though. A warm, forced smile was plastered upon her face, and she was shaking hands like anyone else. The problem was, a few guys were giving her wolf-whistles on the way in, along with compliments for her long legs. She was aggravated, much less embarrassed, and Ulrich was a little part of that aggravation. The German wasn't much better. He wanted to rip their faces off and make them regret their immature stunts.

Blush made their way up her cheeks. Yumi found herself self-consciously pulling the edges of her white sweater further down her torso, even though it completely covered her navel. She even pulled down the edges of her shorts, which only went halfway down her thighs. She also wore white lace up boots. Ulrich, on the other hand, wore a white jacket with rolled up sleeves over a white tank top. His long pants were also white, along with his shoes. To finish it off, he even threw on a scarf.

Weirdly, Yumi found a lot of the new girls to be stealing small glances of Ulrich. Slowly, she clenched her fists and quietly blew off steam. Some of them even began to flirt, taking any chance they could to touch him: accidental bumps and friendly punches.

_"Who do they think they are?"_ Yumi thought to himself.

Jeremie, meanwhile, was doing the same thing as the others. He was finishing the last flow of recruits, and he also had to ask them about their fighting techniques so he could tell them where they should be going. But he couldn't help but keep the interview in the corners of his mind. It kept popping up.

Unusually, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Brynga could've been lying. Really, she was a bit defensive when he thought about it. But then he thought of the possibility that he was being unfair towards her. It isn't right to aim accusations.

But then it all circled back to one question: Why were the Kinimods chasing after her?

The last recruit for today, a girl just a little shorter than Jeremie, about five ten, shook hands with him. Her long blonde hair was tied in a half up, half down style, and she had really round eyes, the shade of hazel. She wore a sleeveless white dress which gave her a really polished and sophisticated look. She was very pretty, but not as much as Aelita was, Jeremie thought.

"Name?" he asked for the millionth time today, causing him to sound bored.

With a smug grin, she answered with, "Laura Gauthier."

Jeremie checked off 'French' in the race category of Laura's application. He looked back up. "Ability? Any hobbies at home?"

"Computer sciences," she instantly blurted with a tone of excitement. "I'm really good at that."

And so Jeremie checked off 'special.' Clipping the pen back onto the breast pocket of his plaid shirt, he said, "Well, Laura, welcome to Eurasia's Army. You'll be training alongside me. You can call me Jeremie."

"Thanks," she said, shifting her body from left to right. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Just pick an empty room, and relax a bit. It's lunch time soon," he answered, thrusting his thumb towards the entrance.

"Okay. I can do that." Giving a curt nod along with a nice smile, she then walked in, lugging her suitcase behind her.

Once Laura was inside, Brynga coincidentally sashayed outside, pausing to give Laura a curt nod.

The Icelandic wore a fitted dress with a slightly flared skirt. The grass crunched beneath her pointed toe boots as she walked towards Ulrich, whose eyes were completely transfixed upon the light-haired beauty, under her bewitching spell. Odd's eyes were under her mercy as well. Jeremie would've stared as well, but he was too busy chatting with Aelita about the sorting of new recruits. Yumi's head was on fire at this point; she had try her hardest to keep her temper in check.

"Hey-" Ulrich was about to greet her, only to be cut off by her sudden contact with the brunette. She instantly hooked the crook of her elbow onto Ulrich's, treating him like he was any old chum. His brown eyes shifted to their arms, now intertwined because of Brynga. Yumi noticed this too, of course, and she couldn't help but feel disgusted. Just starting to feel uneasy, Ulrich cleared his throat. "So what's up, Brynga?" Ulrich could just feel Odd's eyes burning holes into his back with his continuing gaze, his light brown eyes intermittently flashing to a light shade of violet.

"It's lunch time now, am I right?" she asked.

Feeling the displeasing aura radiating from Odd, Ulrich tried to lightly pry Brynga's arm away from his, but the attempts remained fruitless. "Yeah," he answered, nodding slowly and _still_ trying to disconnect their arms. "We should go to the mess hall just about now."

Brynga shook her head. "I really want to see Spain, Ulrich," she said, clearly implying on something yet unknown. "I've been hiding from the Kinimods for months. Trying Spanish food would be really pleasurable."

Ulrich averted his eyes to Odd, who was gazing back with a pleading face, as if he was telling him not to take her. The eccentric teen looked as if he was about to shake his head at the brunette if he ever agreed to go with her, a gesture of pure betrayal.

So, Ulrich shook his head politely and rejected Brynga's request, walking over to Odd with their arms still linked. He then gestured to Odd, whose face instantly lit up just by the sight of her face. "Maybe Odd good buddy could take you," he spoke, patting his now grateful friend's back. "Besides, Brynga, I already have a girlfriend, and I don't think she'll be okay with that."

Yumi, Brynga, and Odd each rose an eyebrow. "You do?" they said in utter shock.

Ulrich sauntered over to Yumi's side, holding her left hand in his right. It brought tingles to both their bodies, flourishing from the mere contact. "Yeah, and she's right here."

Yumi averted her gaze to Ulrich without turning her head and muttered almost incoherently, "What are you doing?"

"I'm only doing this for Odd," he muttered back.

Neither of them broke away from their grasp as Brynga said, "But Aelita assigned you to me." Odd noticeably frowned at her reluctance.

"So I'll be there to watch you," Ulrich answered simply, shrugging with ease. "All of us are coming. Me, Yumi, Odd, you, Jeremie, and Aelita."

Jeremie directed his attention away from his clipboard; Aelita had just left for her castle to sign daily documents from the government. He rose an eyebrow and gave his undivided attention to Ulrich after his statement, having just arranged something without his consent. "What's going on, you guys?" he asked, twirling the pen between his fingers.

"Ulrich over here is going to play matchmaker," Odd mumbled, rolling his eyes with his back turned to him. Watching Brynga with intent eyes, he then continued, "Though it seems that Brynga is much rather interested in _him_."

Ulrich's awareness of Odd seemed to spike. He heard what he said. Whipping his head around, his dark brown eyes watched as his eccentric friend walked off, his face holding an expression of crossness.

"Odd, wait!" Ulrich said, propelling his feet in pursuit of him. Turning back to Jeremie momentarily, he paused to say, "We're still going."

And he sped off.

Jeremie readjusted his glasses in confusion. "_Where_ exactly are we going?"

Yumi crossed her arms, shaking her head. "Apparently we're having a lunch outing."

"And why is that?"

"Because _Brynga_ wanted to."

Brynga nodded, giving the most innocent of smiles. Weirdly, Yumi caught a vibe of fakeness from her aura, while Jeremie nodded with surprise. "C'mon, Yumi, let's get ready," she said with pure excitement, grabbing her by the wrist.

And with one last pleading look in Jeremie's direction, she let Brynga forcefully pull her through the headquarters' entrance.

* * *

**Author's Note: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. But I put more plot in here than the original; does that help? Probably not... Laura's in here now! Hopefully the next few will come by faster. (: I've been really busy this week, from planning a surprise birthday party, organizing an interview with a science professional, and to spending hours on drawing a comic as a half birthday present for a friend. Feel free to review, guys! I love you all!**


	11. Ultimatum

**Hey hey hey! Yes, you guys waited for a week only to be given: the exact same chapter from last time! And it still bears the same name too: Ultimatum! ...Okay, actually, to tell you the truth, it's not _exactly_ the same thing. Like all the other chapters, this one is much more detailed than the previous version. Basically, it contains the same plot, with a few add-ins, and there's much more detail in fight scenes; you might be surprised. ((; So feel excited! Thanks for all your lovely reviews, favorites, and follows! (: Happy reading!**

**P.S: Oh, and even if you've already read the first version of this chapter, I suggest you still read this... Because, come on, I spent a whole week reediting/ rewriting this for you guys! I love you all that much! :))**

**Okay, I'm done. Now you can read. (:**

* * *

Chapter 10: Ultimatum

Ulrich's feet had a mind of it's own. It's only goal was to catch up with Odd, who was still walking unresponsively towards their room. It was so unusual; he didn't know what could get a lovable, funny, and kind guy like Odd so unhappy.

Ulrich's face ran into the door of their room which Odd just slammed closed. Ulrich tried to pry the door open, but it was caught. Shaking his head, he pulled out their key from the inside of his pants and thrust it into the lock, the door giving way with a crisp click. He pushed aside the glass door and found Odd inside, sitting on his bunk with his eyes lowered to his palms.

Odd wrung his hands as Ulrich chose to break the oppressive silence. "What did I do wrong, Odd?" he asked.

An awkward pause ensued as several seconds elapsed. "I really thought I was on my way to getting her to like me, Ulrich," he answered in a dejected tone, finally deciding to lift his gaze. A mixture of sadness and anger glazed his light brown eyes, a look that irrefutably brought chills down Ulrich's spine. It was when Odd chose to stand up that the fear of losing his friend began to assail the German's mind.

The svelte teenager stood up to his greatest height, his face forcing Ulrich to back away. His lack of size failed to eradicate the intimidation etched in his features; Ulrich knew how powerful Odd was. "But then Aelita chose to assign _you_ to train her, and now she can do nothing but latch herself onto you," he continued. Never so fast did Ulrich ever watch someone lose himself: he watched as the comedic guy he knew so well evaporate into a guy of assertiveness and control.

Ulrich was at a loss for words. Narrowing his eyes, he spat back, "So what are you saying, huh? That I was _flirting_ with her?" He clenched his fists to vent out the adrenaline coursing through him. He didn't want to fight.

Odd threw his arms up in exasperation. "What else could you have been doing?" he retorted angrily. "With friends like you, who needs enemies? I thought you were to be trusted, but I guess I was mistaken!" his high pitched tone screeched. He clenched his teeth so tightly, anyone could make out the contours of his jaw.

Ulrich's gaze only hardened. "I would never do that to you, Odd," he said, shaking his head. "I thought you knew about my feelings for Yumi."

"Of course I do," he agreed, anger still ingrained in his tone. "But by the looks of it, it seems like you guys aren't getting anywhere."

"I never flirted with her," Ulrich restated, noticeably flinching by the fact that it was a partial lie. They have toppled on top of each other and exchanged blushes several times, but that was close to being unpreventable. He took that fact as solace, but he couldn't help but still feel slightly guilty... Not to mention the intimate gesture of helping her with handling the sword.

Now _that_ rose a red flag.

Sighing in defeat, he knew that he couldn't keep these things from Odd. "Well.." he began, "there have been several instances..." When Odd began to advance with his fists threateningly clenched, Ulrich put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "But how else was I supposed to teach her?!" he asked with desperation.

"Well, I don't know," Odd answered in an undeniably sarcastic tone. "But I do know that instructors shouldn't be blushing at their students!"

Ulrich took fighting stance as Odd approached even closer. "Look, Odd, I don't want to hurt you," he said.

Odd's eyes flickered with newfound hostility. "You already did," he choked out. "How could you!"

Odd's hands sprung for the shoulders of Ulrich's shirt, the fabric wrinkling inside his grasp. He shoved his German friend forcefully against the wall, his face wretched into a full-on death glare. Ulrich's blood ran cold as he saw Odd get angrier, his expression so foreign, unfamiliar. He never saw Odd like this, ever.

Ulrich shoved Odd away from him and kicked him in the stomach, hard enough to throb, but not hard enough to bruise him. Odd only staggered back, finally collapsing into Ulrich's bunk which served as a safety net.

"What the hell has gotten into you?!" Ulrich hollered, towering over his fallen friend... Actually, he didn't know if they were even friends anymore.

That shook him. Badly.

"...Look, I don't have any feelings for Brynga. I swear," Ulrich continued, offering him a hand. Odd stared at it, debating whether to take it or not. "I only blushed from embarrassment." To tell you the truth, he didn't know if it was true. Like mentioned before, blushing is near to unpreventable.

"You sure?" he asked hesitantly.

Ulrich nodded slowly, his eyes finally softening. Odd shook his head, and took his hand. He couldn't even comprehend what would've happened if their fight had gotten further. He has to calm down.

"Brynga will be lucky to have you, Odd. You're a great guy," Ulrich finally said.

He responded with a large smile, but then it vanished almost as fast as it came. "You really don't have to pretend to be dating Yumi just to help me."

"Actually," Ulrich began, "that was a test run. Doing this finally gave me the guts to really make things official with her."

* * *

Yumi nearly tripped over her boots as Brynga pulled her adamantly into her room. Once the door was shut, Yumi wrenched her arm away, and Brynga was more than obliged to let go. Her room was occupied with several cots, belonging to her roommates, along with a large wooden desk which was accompanied with at least ten seats. Luckily for Brynga, none of her roommates were present due to the patrolling of Spain, considering what she was about to do next.

Yumi threw her arms up in frustration and irritation. "What?" she asked in a malicious tone. She was suspicious, because under that mask of gentleness and kindness, she _knew_ there was something unusual about her. She can't be trusted.

As Yumi massaged her slightly sore wrist, Brynga lips formed a chilling sneer. "I want you to stay away from Ulrich, that's what," she hissed. "He's mine, and you're getting in the way."

Yumi placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head, raising an eyebrow. She was perplexed beyond words. Brynga's feelings for Ulrich frighteningly elevated; she had only been here for two days -close to two days. In less than forty-eight hours, she built up the nerve to claim him for herself. Yumi couldn't believe it. "And what makes you think that?" she retorted. "Ulrich's not in your possession the last time I checked."

Brynga responded with only a cold, mocking laugh. She tapped the edge of her chin with the tip of her index finger, as if to contemplate her next few words. "Hm..." she trailed off in a sarcastic tone, "Let's see. Ulrich was assigned to protect me, not you. He was assigned to train me, not you. Ulrich-"

Yumi narrowed her eyes. "-Ulrich is mature enough to treat this professionally. He won't grow feelings for you. Besides, he will never do that to Odd. " She then reached for the doorknob. "I've had enough. I'm leaving. This conversation was pointless."

Before Yumi could even turn the knob one degree to the right, Brynga's hand was already clamped around her wrist, bringing back the slight sore. She shoved her hand off the turning device, and before Yumi knew it, she was plummeting backfirst towards the ground. She met the solid floor with a loud thud.

The fall extracted the air completely out of Yumi's lungs, and she didn't have time to catch her breath before Brynga's hands secured around the collar of her sweater. A wheeze of distress was forced out of her as the blonde forcefully brought her back up to a standing position, a smirk choosing to settle upon her face. She then began to slowly elevate her arm until Yumi's long legs were dangling, making it exceptionally harder for her to breathe.

"I beg to differ," Brynga snarled, staring as Yumi's face gradually receded to a deep shade of red. "Not to make you _jealous_, but we fell over a few times, and he was blushing at me like a maniac. Not to mention the fact that he wrapped his arms _tightly_ around me just to teach me how to use a sword." She then shook her arm to keep Yumi from kicking her. She gasped for air.

Yumi narrowed her eyes, though the intimidation slumped just by the simple fact that she was desperate to breathe. "I- don't -believe- you," she managed to croak between shallow breaths.

Brynga laughed and threw Yumi against the opposite wall, her back crashing against the metal frame of a nearby bed. Yumi then gave way to sliding down to the floor, using her right arm to support her upper body as she took in big gulps of air, satisfying her fiery lungs. Brynga bent down until her gaze met Yumi's, a smug grin engraving her face. She placed her hands on her knees, cocking her head to the side, as she watched Yumi with sinful eyes. "Fine," Brynga said as Yumi was still gasping to recovery. "Believe what you want."

"He's my _boyfriend_," Yumi emphasized, grabbing a post from a nearby bunk for support as she got back up. Her back throbbed, inducing winces among her eyes. It almost took away from the feeling of that mere word, the feeling she got just by announcing it. She moaned just as another flourish of pain shot throughout her system, bringing her to the real realization of Brynga's attack. "Y-you're insane!" she declared once she fully pulled herself together.

Without warning, Brynga began her long string of kicks aimed for Yumi's vulnerable mid-section. They were intricate, beautifully coordinated, but they were still no match for Yumi nevertheless. A smirk formed upon Yumi's face as she used her highly trained reflexes to catch her right foot, trapping it between her palms. Then tucking it under her arm, Yumi began to shove her foot back in Brynga's direction, forcing her against the wall.

Once Yumi shoved Brynga's foot to the right, causing her to fall, she lunged for the Icelandic, securing her wrists and thighs. Unfortunately, though, Brynga was easily able to overcome her sheer strength, and turned the pair over, making it her turn to be on top.

Yumi writhed underneath Brynga's restraining body, unable to conquer her unexpected strength. Once the Icelandic was purely of dominance, she proceeded to say, "I may be insane... But I'm going to make sure that Ulrich's gonna fall in love with _me_."

Yumi was totally unprepared for Brynga's next move. The blonde grabbed her neck, and forcefully shoved her head against the ground, hard enough for it to throb, but not hard enough for her to go unconscious. She then paused for a moment, listening to Yumi's whimpers and grunts of struggle which served as music to her ears. "Let me give you an ultimatum," Brynga suggested in a cold mocking voice, a devilish smirk which was close to being Satan's forming on her delicate features. Her lips brushed the tip of Yumi's ear threateningly, whispering, "If you don't leave Ulrich alone, then I _swear_ I will go on to beating your friends to a pulp, like I am doing to you now."

The Japanese geisha was speechless for a few seconds, and Brynga almost laughed at her uncertainty. But it quickly died away when a smile developed on Yumi's lips, diminishing all the fear that was present just a second ago. "No. Way," she replied.

"Wrong answer," Brynga sang. Proving her point, she picked up Yumi's head, and all at once smashed it against the wooden floor once again. Yumi couldn't retaliate; her head was throbbing and her eyes blurred things together into a mess of colors which were indistinguishable against one another.

She whimpered slightly, as Brynga said her next few words. "Let me rephrase that," she snarled, tightening her hands around Yumi's wrists. "You _are_ the better fighter at martial arts, aren't you? Meaning that I can easily take down Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie, and..." She scrunched her eyebrows in feigned concern, "poor, little Aelita."

Yumi narrowed her eyes, trying to get a clear focus on Brynga's face. "Touch her, and it'll be the last thing you'll do," she spat.

"You seem to care a lot about your friends," Brynga stated the obvious. Pummeling Yumi's head into the floor not one, but three more times, she then continued, "But their physical health isn't decided by me. It's you. One kiss is all it takes. One kiss, and your friends will get it. Now, let me say this one more time." She banged Yumi's head. "Do. You. HEAR. Me?!"

Yumi eventually succumbed to her abuse and nodded painfully, her head pulsing with pain along with every slight movement. Brynga gave her a sickly smile.

"Good," she said.

Brynga helped Yumi up, then propelled her towards the writing desk, provoking a chain reaction of stationery materials to drop to the ground. Yumi used it as support as she gasped for breath, her mind moving in all directions, banging incessantly against the corners of her skull.

"Oh, and one more thing: Do not tell anyone about what just happened, and about the ultimatum, or the same punishment would be given out," Brynga finally said. "Now _leave_."

Scared out of her wits, but not showing it, Yumi left the room, now thought of as their private battlefield, immediately, wanting to depart a _long_ time ago.

* * *

Yumi didn't know what happened. First Brygna was all sweet and kind with an innocent crush. Then the most wicked transformation took place, turning her into the most demented person Yumi ever saw. She was scared, to tell the truth. Scared for Eurasia's Army. Brynga has to be working as one of the adversaries in this whole scheme; she was willing to _kill_ or at the least beat up Aelita, Odd, Jeremie, and Ulrich, for crying out loud, and her as well!

But then that brought up a new question in Yumi's head: Is Brynga part of the Kinimods, then? She thought about talking to Jeremie, but the thought of Brynga getting back at her put her in a deadlock. Brynga could beat Yumi _so_ easily, so why not the others?

The thought of Brynga being part of the Kinimods seemed incomprehensible. How could she be so evil? Shaking her head to clear her mind, Yumi slowly trudged to her own room. Her legs, her arms, her stomach, and her head were palpitating shocks of pain throughout her body with every step, making the seemingly short walk of a few meters seem like a mile.

Yumi's wrist thrummed with discomfort as she slid the glass door to her room open to let herself in. The thought of the outing seemed like the least of her worries; it was far from the main focus of her mind right now.

Even though she really wasn't in the mood, Yumi began to prepare for lunch. She sorted through her rack of clothes for at least ten minutes, despite the fact that she didn't have a really large variety. She had only the clothes that were provided for her when she enlisted in Eurasia's army; when she ran away from home, she couldn't pack anything with her, for Dominik's bodyguards were already searching the house. Her mind kept on drifting to the subject of Brynga's loyalty, distracting her from her small list of clothing choices, so she eventually closed her eyes and blindly plucked a random clothing hanger off the rack which held the article of clothing she would wear.

As Yumi inspected her naked self in the mirror, she felt ticked off. She narrowed her eyes at the bruises littered along her wrists and the center of her thighs, and turning around to look at her back, a chill briefly glided down her spine.

Multiple nasty bruises stained her porcelain skin, making it look as if it was in the early stages of decomposition. Yumi could almost make out the outline of the bed post Brynga threw her back into by the way they lined up with one another, making it all the more bad. Luckily, all of the bruises weren't severe in any level; Yumi didn't expect Brynga to be that strong. And feeling the tender skin on the back of her head from being slammed into the floor, it didn't seem to be as severe either. Barely any swelling occurred, much to her pleasure. So, she chose to ignore them and bear with the pesky pain; mostly because she couldn't risk getting caught by Jeremie while grabbing an ice pack from the infirmary.

Yumi eventually slipped on a navy blue fitted dress with a sweetheart neckline cut just above her knees. The dress was polished off with lace in the same color, covering up her arms and collar bone area. This was the same dress she was going to wear to Dominik's inaugural, until his henchmen told her to change into the other black, slimming dress. Yumi still had that free dress, of course, but she chose not to wear it. It held terrible memories, bringing her back towards the time of Jeremie's near death at Dominik's hearing, which is why she cringed when she saw it sitting alone in the far back wall. She then brushed her hair, not bothering to style it up. Her hair was too short to do anything with it anyway, and they only had twenty minutes to get ready.

She then used the concealer from the compact Sissi once threw at her out of annoyance to cover up her bruised skin.

* * *

**Author's note: Awesome, eh? The next few chapters will probably bring forth a surprise that didn't exactly happen in the previous chapter, so feel excited! :) I just ate a toasted croissant, and I'm really happy (though that's probably gonna be the last one I ever eat, considering the fact that my mom and brother hate croissants -_-)... Well, anyways, feel free to review, guys! Mwah! I'll try my best to get the next chapter up by tomorrow, you guys deserve it!**


	12. Secrecy Refrains Jealousy

**Hey guys! Another quick update! :) I said tomorrow, but it only took me ten minutes to reedit everything. ((: I got it done quickly. Nothing so different here, so if you've already read the first version of 'Mission Interference,' then just read the beginning, and you can probably skim through the rest if you'd like. (; Happy reading!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Secrecy Refrains Jealousy

"The informants have told me that the five are going to Sancteloni's in Rome's Hilton hotel."

A slight smile clinged to his red lips. "Good," Dashiel responded simply with no apparent expression. He tapped the tips of his fingers together repeatedly, staring off into the dimly lit room. "Remember, the priority is drawing blood from her, killing second."

"Roger. Will you care to accompany me, Dash?"

He gave a slight chuckle. "Anything for you, Victoria. Get dressed in proper attire, and we'll be well on our way."

* * *

When Jeremie called Aelita and told her about the lunch plans, she literally dropped her phone. She always loved excursions, even some as little as this one. After all, she was 'detained' inside her castle for the first seventeen years of her life. As her phone landed atop her bed with a thump and continued to sink into the soft feather sheets, Aelita squealed with delight, completely ignoring Jeremie's frantic voice coming through the receiver. She was oozing happiness.

"Hello? Aelita?"

"Aelita, are you there?"

"Aelita, pick up! Are you okay?"

Aelita widened her eyes. Then, she abruptly bursted into fits of laughter, blindly retrieving her phone. When she placed the cellular device against her ear, Jeremie's voice ruptured painfully through the speakers. It took a few minutes, but once she got her nerd to calm down, she shut her phone, and ran off to her walk-in closet.

Aelita's closet consisted of cream-colored walls and ceiling lights emitting a gold-tinged aura upon the room. A glass mirror served as the far right wall, and brass railings occupied with pink hangers occupied two others. The last wall consisted of an array of shoes; any fashionista's dream.

The pinkette stripped out of her disdainful gown which tugged uncomfortably upon her waist, and began her search through the racks of clothes, looking for that one particular dress. Then finally, after about five minutes of continuous searching, Aelita emerged in a flamenco-dancer-like solid red dress, which consisted of a tiered, high-low skirt. Hey, they're going to a Spanish restaurant. Might as well dress it. She also clipped a red flower into her pink hair and slipped on some red heels.

The Queen of Eurasia sauntered out of her closet, playfully twirling around in circles to admire the skirt of her dress, never really acknowledging how beautiful she really was. Then almost immediately, arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to the side with him.

"Jeremie!" Aelita squealed between laughs. "You scared me!"

Her boyfriend only laughed with her in response. He affectionately kissed the back of her head, pressing his lips firmly onto her ruffled, pink hair. Then pulling away, he was given a quick overview of his first one and only girlfriend.

"Wow," Jeremie breathed out nervously. "You look b-beautiful, Aelita." It brought him back to the time of their picnic, when Aelita looked so beautiful with the sun shining down on her. He just loved how natural and uncaring Aelita was towards how she looked. She was so genuine, innate.

Aelita shook her head as if to disagree, but nevertheless pulled his hands into hers and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you, Jeremie. You clean up nicely as well."

He was in a deep blue dress shirt with black slacks and a tie. Just like Yumi, he chose to wear what he picked to go in to Dominik's hearing before the slight change in plan. Jeremie flushed into a shade of deep crimson. He then started to sweat a bit, and cleared his throat. "W-we should get going, Aelita." Jeremie laughed half-heartedly, trying to lighten the mood. "The others are waiting."

Aelita shook her fists, and again, squealed with excitement. Jeremie found it kind of cute, but being his usual self, he didn't dare say it out loud.

And with that, Jeremie happily formed the void which would eventually lead them back to headquarters.

* * *

Ulrich was just finishing adjusting his bow tie when Odd emerged from one of the stalls. The purple-clad teen stepped in front of the sink neighboring Ulrich's, as said friend examined him from head to toe. Odd was wearing a black vest over a purple dress shirt, along with black slacks and a bow tie, surprisingly the outfit that was given to him during Dominik's hearing.

Ulrich nodded in approval, and turned his attention back towards the mirror. The German was wearing a black tuxedo jacket over a gray dress shirt and gray cufflinks. To add to the outfit, he also put on a gray fedora.

He popped open a bottle of hair-gel, squeezed a large dollop of it in his hand, and proceeded with applying it to his droopy bangs. As the brunette continued to style his hair, he averted his eyes to Odd. "So, good buddy," he said, "you're wearing the clothes Dominik gave you? Not that I disapprove, but I thought you would be going with something that would..you know, lighten the mood."

Odd swiped Ulrich's bottle of hair-gel nonchalantly, and proceeded with styling his own hair into its usual spike as well. Ulrich didn't seem to mind. Odd shrugged, and said, "Eh, I don't have anything that's formal enough. I mean, before Dominik gave us those clothes, I was ready to go there in a plain t-shirt, and skinny jeans! I gotta look nice for the ladies, Ulrich." Odd then posed, and Ulrich shook his head while he scoffed.

"Well," said Ulrich, turning on the tap to wash the gel off his hands, "I'm ready. Are you?"

Odd did the same. "Yep. Let's go, good buddy!"

When they reached the arena, they found Jeremie and Aelita just stepping out of the black and red portal, fingers intertwined. Yumi and Brynga were already at the wide open doors of the headquarters, standing a relatively long distance from each other.

Yumi's face was paler than usual, though her expression remained stoic. Fear threatened to break out and completely overcome her features. She tried her best to keep her already bruised body at least several meters away from Brynga, after that little... encounter. The pain in her head had already subsided into a pesky, manageable throb, and she didn't want it to emerge again.

Brynga wore a simple and white sleeveless dress with a v-neck and a large bow at the center of her waist area. The dress is cut half-way down her thighs, and the hem was layered with ruffles. Her long, blonde hair was tied in a half-up, half-down style, secured with a matching white bow.

Ulrich's eyes latched onto Yumi, slowly relishing her alluring, simple, and down-to-earth beauty. He didn't take into account her paled, petrified face, for he knew that Yumi's skin usually resembled smooth, white porcelain, and Brynga was mildly distracting him, keeping him from noticing. Guilt began to form upon his flood of emotions.

Halfway through the walk towards their dates, Odd and Ulrich were stopped by William.

"Hey guys," he greeted. "Did any one of you just saw Yumi _dragging_ herself to her room? I could've sworn I saw bruises on her thighs. What's going on?"

Ulrich seemed taken aback. Immediately, he bolted towards Yumi, taking her hands in his when he reached her. "Yumi!" he said. "Are you okay? William saw you dragging yourself towards your room... What happened?"

Yumi was grateful for his concern. At that moment, she just wanted to break her fake facade and tell him everything: Brynga's actual egotistical personality, her ultimatum, her intentions involving Ulrich.. _everything_.

But the face Brynga gave her behind Ulrich's back _daring_ her to tell him stopped the Japanese geisha from spilling.

Yumi didn't know what came over her, but she snapped. "I'm _fine_!" she yelled in an angered tone, instinctively pulling her hands away.

Ulrich's face showed a sign of hurt, and Yumi was hit with a wave of guilt; after all, he didn't do anything wrong. It consumed her fully, taking her happiness with it. She didn't bother apologizing.

"Geez, Yumi," said Odd, walking towards the group and leaving William to ponder to his mind's content, "is it the time of the month for you?"

Both of Yumi's eyebrows raised, and she gave him a deep sigh, not wanting to deal with his immaturity, _even_ if it was only a joke.

"Odd," spoke Ulrich through his clenched teeth, "shut _up_, okay?" Despite Yumi's before statement, he inspected all of her exposed skin. No bruises were in sight. Yumi felt his eyes scanning her body, and prayed for the makeup to work. Seeing no change in Ulrich's expression, her mind exhaled a sigh of relief.

Aelita and Jeremie finally joined the group. The pinkette heard Yumi's outburst earlier, and asked, "Yumi, are you sure you're okay?"

Yumi took a deep breath, and barely choked out, "I'm fine, really, Aelita."

Ulrich could tell through Yumi's mask; he knew almost _everything_ about her. He can always tell what's going on in her mind, except, obviously, her feelings for him. But instead, knowing Yumi, it was best he brush it off. So, he did.

Instead, he started to lightly stroke Yumi's arm. Much to his disliking, Yumi pulled away, putting her out of his reach after taking into account Brynga's face of disapproval. Yumi didn't want to, but she had no choice. She never softened her face.

"Well anyway," said Ulrich after clearing his throat, "you look beautiful, Yumi. You girls too, Aelita and Brynga."

Brynga instantly brightened her face with a smile. "Thank you, Ulrich," she responded, making her presence known for the first time. Yumi found her innocent, Icelandic accent almost foreign; so different from the almost demonic tone she used while giving Yumi the ultimatum.

Aelita nodded her thanks, and cuddled closer to Jeremie, as Yumi gave him a small smile, not being able to keep it in.

"Well," said Jeremie, clasping his hands together while breaking the sudden silence. "Let's go guys, we have only an hour for lunch."

* * *

Restaurant Santceloni in Madrid, Spain, is on the top floor of Rome's Hilton Hotel. The modern elegance radiating from the atmosphere took the warriors' breaths away. Light-wood, round, and large tables were scattered methodically throughout the area, topped with off-white cloth. The floors and walls were colored a beige-creamy color, and the ceiling too, dotted with spotlights giving off a soft, golden glow of light to the restaurant. Beautiful orchids were placed in random areas, and in the center stood a fine, rustic table stocked with finely aged cheeses and wine. The chairs accompanying the tables were black and made of wood.

Once they walked through the glass doors, a large, black counter was standing to greet them. Manning it stood a man in his late twenties, in a gray suit and red tie.

His black dress shoes clacked against the floor as he walked towards the group, with a towel draped over his forearm and menus stocked in his other. Once he laid eyes on Ulrich though, he immediately broke out of his sophisticated posture, and came to greet him like any old friend.

"Ulrich, my boy!" he said, man-hugging his fellow German friend as he tried very hard to refrain from ruffling his spiked hair. "Long time, no see!"

"Hey, man," answered Ulrich, giving him a big smile, momentarily forgetting his friends' presences. Only when Odd absentmindedly cleared his throat, raising up his fist to his mouth that Ulrich was brought back.

Ulrich let go of the man, faced his friends, and said, "Let me introduce him to you guys." He gestured to the adult. "This is Adalberto, Chef Velasco's son. While I was lost in Spain, he found me, and took me into his home until the Queen sent me the letter. This is-"

"Queen Aelita!" yelled Adalberto. He then grasped her hand, and pressed his lips lightly against it. Aelita smiled in pleasure as he said, "It is a pleasure to serve you, your majesty."

"The pleasure's all mine," Aelita responded cordially.

Adalberto then turned to Ulrich and said, "You didn't tell me you knew the Queen."

Ulrich put his hands up in a defensive gesture, and said, "I didn't know her until a few months before." He then proceeded with introducing his friends one-by-one, Adalberto responding by kissing and shaking hands.

"And this is Yumi, my-" Ulrich paused for a second, still not used to their 'title.' "_girlfriend_."

"Ah, Yumi," said Adalberto when Ulrich lastly introduced her, giving her a knowing smile. "Ulrich has told me lots about you. He has chosen a fine young woman."

Yumi couldn't help but blush as Brynga noticeably frowned.

"So!" said Ulrich, clasping his hands together. "Table for six, if you may, Adalberto."

Adalberto chuckled, gave a wink in Yumi's direction, and said, "Of course, table for six coming right up."

The Spanish waiter led them to a long, rectangular table made of dark brown wood in another part of the restaurant. Chatter amongst the upper class zoomed past the warriors' ears as they followed. The lighting was dim, adding a bit more class. Four chairs were set on the long sides of the rectangle, two on either side, the last two across from each other on the shorter sides. Wine glasses were placed on each spot of the table, accompanying the plates, which were black rimmed and white in the center. A napkin was rolled up and tied off with black ribbon, and they were placed on smaller, identical plates beside the larger ones. Brynga sat across from Yumi, and each were sitting beside their respectable dates, leaving Ulrich and Odd to sit across from each other as well. Jeremie and Aelita sat on either far side of the table, Aelita overly smiling with delight.

Brynga snuck a glare at Yumi, and she responded with another glare back.

Let the games begin.

* * *

**Author's Note: Mmkay guys, that's it for today. ((: The next chapter will be different from the first version, and super exciting! ((:**** I'm really really sorry that I'm making all of you read some of the same exact material.. It's just that this was one of my favorite chapters, and I was really proud of it, so I just left most of it the same. Hehe, I ship Victoria and Dashiel! I also _love_ the idea of #625 and Dashiel together. Bad guy couples are awesome...**

**Seems like trouble is approaching for the Lyoko Warriors!**


	13. Unexpected Visitors

**Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter; it was the most fun and exciting to write by far! Because, yes, there are fight scenes. ((:**

* * *

Chapter 12: Unexpected Visitors

"Table for seven, if you may." Looking handsome as always, he was in an expensive gray coat made of tweed and a black scarf. Under it, he wore a white dress shirt, black slacks, and pointy dress shoes. His signature fedora wasn't on, revealing his contoured face, his lips full and red, his dirty blonde hair voluptuous.

Arm in arm with Dashiel, was Victoria, his close friend. Her chestnut hair was messily pinned up into a beautiful updo, showing off her diamond earrings. She was in a flowy red dress which was cut right about her knees, and she was as beautiful as ever. Behind the leading pair were five more Kinimods, all in varied attire. For once, they took a break from the black.

Adalberto, oblivious to the danger they possessed, nodded and gave them a polite smile. "Of course," he answered in a benign tone. "This way, please."

* * *

Odd peeked over his menu from where he was sitting. For a second, he could've sworn his mind was hallucinating, bringing false images through his eyes. Right before him, he found Dashiel and Victoria arm in arm following Adalberto's lead. His gaze hardened as he watched Dashiel pull out a chair for Victoria.

Then, Odd watched as Victoria turned her head to face the purple-clad teen, sending him a hidden wink and chill-inducing smirk.

Then, she mouthed a laugh at his confused face and brought her attention back to her own table, fingering the menu.

"Uh -oh, it looks like we have trouble," Odd remarked, pointing over to the Kinimod's table. "Are they an item or what?"

* * *

Victoria fingered the chain she kept under her dress, the cool metallic ness of it tingling her fingers. Cupping her chin with one hand, she watched as Dashiel gazed intently at his menu. He can't be serious.

"When are we going on with the plan?" Victoria asked.

"In a few minutes," Dashiel mumbled back. "Once the waiter leaves their table, we can confront them."

* * *

Yumi turned to follow Odd's gaze. All thoughts about the ultimatum vanished from her mind and became replaced with notions of the safety of everyone around here. Jeremie and Aelita were noticeably pale. Ulrich rose his eyebrows in surprise, and Brynga just stared.

Yumi whisked her head around to face Odd again. She gripped the edge of her chair until her nails dug into the black wood. "We have to get everyone out of here now." Averting her eyes over to Jeremie she found him nodding in agreement.

"No one has no idea how powerful they are," Jeremie said, his voice a little shaky. "They have guns. They can start a whole shooting."

"We know, Jeremie," Ulrich answered. "What are we-"

Instantly, a gloved hand collided with the tabletop next to Aelita, snatching everyone's attention away from Ulrich. The pinkette shifted her eyes along the arm, finding that it belonged to a petite girl with chestnut hair.

Aelita glared at her. The Kinimod member had a smirk upon her face, licking her bold red lips.

Then, there was a scream.

Panic-stricken, everyone veered to find Dashiel pointing a sleek, black gun at Adalberto's head. The benevolent Spanish waiter had his hands up as the lead of the Kinimods grabbed assertively at his collar, watching as the diners and employees flooded out of the restaurant like a dam had just broken out. When the last of them left, Dashiel dropped him, turning his head towards the warriors. Adalberto scrambled back to his feet and bolted towards the exit. As he did, Dashiel shut the door behind him, beginning his walk towards their table.

"Great," Victoria sneered. "_Now_ we can have fun."

Her hands wrapped around collar of Aelita's dress as she picked her up and out of her chair; she was stronger than she looks. Then before Aelita could send a frantic look their way, the foe launched her towards the opposite wall, and she crashed against it with a deafening thud.

Jeremie instantly rose from his chair. "Aelita!"

The fragile girl slid down the wall, clearly in pain. She pressed her palms against the wall as she took deep breaths, her eyes barely open. She moaned with discomfort. That's when Dashiel approached, a knife in hand, ready to use it on the one and only Queen.

"No!" Yumi yelled.

All at once, she, Odd, Ulrich, Jeremie, and Brynga flashed to Aelita's side, who was still recovering from the slight pain. As Jeremie tried to get her up, Yumi opened up her fans, Ulrich and Brynga took out several daggers, and Odd took out a retractable shield from his satchel.

They defended, and didn't try to kill like the Kinimods did. They ran to different sides of the restaurant, grabbing the attention of most of the miscreants, as Dashiel and some other Kinimod stayed back to fight Jeremie and Aelita.

* * *

Back at the main dining room, Brynga and Ulrich stood back to back as they were surrounded by three of the seven Kinimods. Nobody moved. The pair sent each other hidden glances, exchanging mental messages with one another. Quickly catching on, Brynga lunged for Ulrich, and he smirked, turning to the right just in time. She instead landed a kick at one of the Kinimods who stood behind Ulrich, sending him staggering back into the rustic table of cheeses.

As the wine bottles cracked and the cheeses tumbled to the ground, Ulrich sent a smile her way. "You get better and better, Brynga."

"It's because you're a great teacher," she smiled back.

Ulrich didn't have time to respond, but he was thankful for the friendly compliment. As the one they just took out laid unconscious, another ran after them, twirling his bo-staff at an inhumane speed. They quickly led him to a separate wing of the restaurant, and as he lunged for Ulrich, he glided to the side, revealing a wooden round table with Brynga behind it. She smirked, picked up the surprisingly light table, and hurled it at him with sheer force. Unfortunately for him, the Kinimod got hit with a chill-inducing crack, plowing against his head. Once he hit the floor, leaving the last one to chase them, Brynga promptly grabbed for Ulrich's hands, and he spun, quickly gaining momentum. Her foot connected with the foe's side, sending his large, massive body impacting with a table behind him. It crumbled beneath his weight, the hot food atop it branding his face.

"Alright," Ulrich smiled, looking over to Brynga. "Seems like training did you some good."

"That was so.. exhilarating!" Brynga exclaimed.

* * *

Yumi, unlike Ulrich and Brynga, wasn't doing so good. Her opponent, who just so happened to proudly announce that his name was Benedick, possessed a club which just so happened to be hidden behind one of the ficus trees standing in the buffet corner. His bright blonde hair was unruly, he had a fit, muscled body like Dashiel, and his jaw was very contoured. He also had a very noticeable bravado, and he showed it, swinging it like it wasn't unwieldy like it normally should be.

Benedick slammed his club into Yumi's leg, sending her crumpling towards the floor. Grasping her leg as it thrummed with pain, a shadow loomed above her, and she looked up. Her eyes were just able to make out the moving club Benedick possessed, and she managed to roll to her left to avoid it's deadly effects. Then, the adrenaline masking her pain, Yumi got right back up, reopening her tessen fans with a distinguishable _shing!._

Yumi jumped in the air, avoiding his club which attempted to trip over her legs, and fired her fans. The sound of screeching iron pierced everyone's ears as they speedily approached Benedick, who narrowly avoided the them, surprised by her sudden retaliation. As she retrieved the fans, Benedick staggered back, the weight of his club pulling him down. Then, finally, after a few seconds, he fell to the floor with a punctuated thud. Yumi stood there and didn't move as he recovered, watching him with keen eyes. She knew very well that she will only defend herself; her fans could very easily kill Benedick like a sword if she decided to play offense.

"Fall back!" she heard Jeremie call.

Before Benedick could even take one step towards her, Yumi sped off.

* * *

Odd kept his retractable shield with him at all times, or he would be forced to face all the consequences. Victoria was hot on his trails, and man, was this girl feisty. She would whip anywhere, almost connecting with Odd's flesh too many times. She also had tiger claws, if it weren't enough.

Odd got up from under a table and blocked Victoria's blow once she kicked the table aside. While he was still recovering from her whip, Victoria instantly sent a consecutive kick to his shield, knocking it out of his hands. Then, with lightning speed, she grasped for his collar and pulled him close.

She kissed his nose lightly, then gave him one of those feline smiles, licking her lips slowly. "You're pretty cute, Odd," she said in a seductive tone. "Mind if I take you back to headquarters?"

Odd shoved her out of his way, and scrambled for his shield. Holding it up, he said, "Look, I think you're hot and everything, but you're the enemy."

"We can't let trivial things like that get in the way, will we, Odd?" she answered, batting her eyelashes.

He was speechless, and a little angered by her taunting. Thankfully, before he could answer, he heard Jeremie call for retreat.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go," he finally said. "See you."

And he was off.

* * *

Jeremie and Aelita were fighting side by side; Jeremie had Dashiel, and Aelita had the other Kinimod. Instantly, once the fight began, Dashiel pulled out his gun, and pointed it at Jeremie's head, scaring him half to death. He dared him to move. Jeremie completely paled, completely at the foe's mercy. He looked frantically over to Aelita, as she watched him, mouth agape.

"Jeremie!" she called. "Ugh!"

The Kinimod kicked at her stomach, and again, she was sent flying towards the wall, her back once again crashing against the wall. Immediately, once she was fallen, the Kinimod pulled out his knife, Dashiel watching intently. Jeremie couldn't believe it.

While Dashiel was distracted, Jeremie spun and kicked the gun out of his hand, sending it clattering against the wooden floor. He then kicked at the Kinimod, right before Dashiel could recover and grab him to stop.

As Dashiel restrained Jeremie, the Kinimod's knife fell from his hand.

And incidentally, it plunged right into Aelita's arm.

She screamed.

The Kinimod then pulled it out with a sickening squish, bringing about a sickening smile from Dashiel. Almost instantly, he dropped Jeremie, and he fell to the floor on his knees. He quickly crawled over to Aelita, who was bleeding heavily.

She was losing too much blood.

Jeremie called for a retreat.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, I hope you liked that! :)) It feels really great to write fighting scenes again, even as short as this one. I miss them. (: Now, I'm not sure if I made it clear, but the Kinimods were after Aelita's blood. Why? Well, find out soon! I love you all! :) You guys are the awesomest readers ever!**


	14. Hidden Item

**Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm really sorry for the delay..**

* * *

Chapter 13: Hidden Item

Jeremie retrieved the Dragon's Barrette from the inside of his pocket as Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd approached him from their sides of the battle. Dashiel and his fighting companions were already fleeing the restaurant, flashes of black gliding across the room. Aelita lay next to Jeremie, who was panicked with his dilemma: he couldn't let the Kinimods run away; he desperately needed to gather information about them, and he couldn't let Aelita die from severe blood loss either and lose their Queen, letting the Kinimods win.

That's when a plan came into place, nestling itself into the caverns of Jeremie's extensive mind. Desperate to do anything, he flipped open his cell-phone, and began a mass-dial with everyone who was patrolling the Rome's Hilton Hotel section of Madrid today as the others hurriedly tended Aelita's to wounds to the best of their extent. "C'mon, c'mon," he quickly uttered under his breath as the rings reverberated through the line.

"Hello?" answered the leader of patrollers, William. "Jeremie?"

"William!" Jeremie screamed through the receiver, causing the dark teen to flinch on the other side of the line. "You and a few other patrollers have to immediately close in on the entrance of Rome's Hilton Hotel; the Kinimods just made their exit!" He lowered his voice. "I want you guys to sneak behind them, and try to gather information; it'll sure help. This could be our only chance, so do it quickly!"

William quickly nodded. "I got it, man," he answered with a slight chuckle. "Don't worry." Directing the conversation to the other patrollers who were also listening quietly, he then continued, "You got that, guys? Move out!"

And the conversation ended with a click.

Jeremie sighed with relief. Looking up, he then directed the tip of his finger towards Odd. "I want you to go to the government's castle, and steal the healing hand."

The eccentric teen saluted back. "Gotcha, einstein!" he responded with his brightest of smiles.

Jeremie gave a terse nod, and clearly stated, "The rest of us will go back to headquarters and take care of Aelita at the infirmary while Odd is out. Yumi, go ahead and meet William. He'll surely need your help."

Yumi nodded, and swiftly sprinted her way out.

Jeremie opened the portal, and Ulrich came to help her up."Let's go, Princess," he said with a sigh, picking up her petite figure. Unfortunately, the pinkette wasn't doing so good: she was close to becoming unresponsive, and her skin receded to a very ghostly shade of white.

* * *

Once they were back at headquarters and Aelita was placed into the infirmary, Ulrich received a call from Adalberto, who sounded so scared.

"Ulrich!" he said in his heavy Spanish accent. "Are you alright? Are your friends okay?"

Ulrich grinned. "I'm fine, man," he answered. "What happened to you?"

On the other side of the line, Adalberto wiped a great amount of sweat from his brow. Fanning himself in quick motions, he answered, "The tall one -blonde hair and amber eyes- quickly approached me from the front counter, and before I knew it, a gun was pointed to my head. He threatened me, told me that if I notified the news, he will hunt down and kill me..." He swallowed as a lump formed in his throat. "Ulrich, I'm deathly afraid."

In response, Ulrich only shook his head. "No one is going to die on our watch. Me, Jeremie, and the others have the _best_ on patrol. The city is watched twenty four seven."

Adalberto breathed a sigh of relief. "But... what did he do to you, Ulrich? You and your friends didn't leave as quickly as us."

"We fought them, they retreated. Everyone is okay."

* * *

"We're meeting a few of the French spies in a few nights..."

William poked his head around the alley wall, finding Victoria and Dashiel deeply immersed into conversation, both of them speaking in hushed whispers. It was a dark, cool night, an occasional gust of wind choosing to tousle his navy hair. The moon was full, casting an eerie glow. Shaking his bangs out of his eyes, he strained his ears to listen. He only caught a few remnants.

Victoria: "Aren't I going... Parc Guell ball?"

Dashiel: "Spies only... fighters... not strategic enough... failed mission."

The catwoman shook her head and stomped away, Dashiel following close behind in large strides. William looked up, finding Emily, Anais, and Yumi standing atop the borderline buildings. He thrust his pointer finger in the direction of the two enemies and then gave a thumbs-up. The three girls nodded in response, and quickly pranced away.

William, meanwhile, stuck to the ground and quietly followed.

* * *

The government castle was an intimidating edifice, white with monogram designs all over. Surrounding it was a thick moat filled with pristine water, and flanking the entrance was a wrought-iron gate decorated with spiral patterns, painted with a thick coat of black paint. Despite it's alarming qualities, Odd wasn't frightened the slightest bit.

The air was cool, refreshing, and thin. The sky was a beautiful shade of black. The moon was high up and full, and Odd could almost imagine a wolf howling to it's glow.

He ran to the entrance, then stopped to slowly walk across the bridge which was dumbly built across the moat, decreasing the sounds of his thudding footsteps against the hardwood. His blank, tranquil mind listened intently to the moat's rushing water, ready to drown anyone who dared fall into it.

Odd's adrenaline began to peak as he gazed up at the towering wrought-iron gates standing at the castle's entrance, rich with footholds for easy climbing.

* * *

William peeked from behind a dumpster, green and grimy with years of age. Dashiel and Victoria still carried their confidential conversation, oblivious to his eavesdropping.

Victoria: "...going to do... materials?"

Dashiel: "The blood... power.."

William's attention was quickly snatched away as a gray rat began to crawl along his arm, the little balls of its feet pressing into his resilient skin. He watched with careful eyes as it walked, beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow. Moving can blow the whole mission, and possibly kill one of them.

William's breath hitched as the rat bared it's sharp, yellow fangs. Then, after a few seconds elapsed, it sunk them deep into his flesh.

Pain flashed throughout his arm, and suddenly it felt like he was on fire. William fell back slightly, but was able to catch himself.

But not before he shifted his foot, colliding with a scrap of metal.

Victoria: "What...it for-?"

_Clang_!

Dashiel's head was instantly brought into attention. He clasped his hand over Victoria's mouth, bringing only a squeal out of her. She widened her eyes, and directed them down to Dashiel's forcing hand, holding her palms up in defense.

"Be quiet," he snarled.

The four members of Eurasia's Army stayed still, paralyzed in sudden apprehensiveness. Dashiel stayed frozen, paranoia beginning to build up inside of him. His amber eyes shot in all directions.

He spotted a shadow.

Anais' heart stopped as she felt a hand take hold of her shirt.

* * *

Odd knew exactly where to go. Entering the gallery, the glow of the Items of Schaeffer met his light brown eyes. They were encased inside round glass containers atop wooden podiums, hovering in mid-air with auras of golden light, as if they had a conscience and wanted to escape.

Calmly walking to the case that held the healing hand which took the appearance of a mere golden glove, Odd's footsteps echoed around the cavernous room. He stared at the Item for a while as it glowed, fascinated by it's beauty. Then instantly realizing what critical condition Aelita was in, he quickly proceeded with grabbing it.

His fingertips barely brushed the case when the alarm went off.

Sirens blared, the room flashed red. Odd panicked, but quickly snatched the Item from its case, careful to lift off the glass cover.

Turning back to face the door, Odd suddenly found himself surrounded by government guards.

* * *

Yumi watched with terror as Anais was pulled forcefully out of her hiding place. Dashiel held the collar of her shirt, pulling her with it. Moving his eyes up and down the beautiful girl's body without the slightest tinge of lust, he clearly noticed she was wearing the enemy's color: white. Knowing very well of it's significance, he killed her, right on the spot.

Anais' screams echoed throughout the alley as the trigger was pulled.

She was much too far from the others to be saved.

Tears welled in Yumi's eyes; her heart was torn. William felt pummeled by guilt; he felt it was all his fault. Emily quietly sobbed, devastated by the sudden loss of a friend.

Victoria gave Dashiel a look. He shook his head. "Should we reschedule?" she asked.

"No," Dashiel answered. "It's much too late for that."

* * *

"What is your purpose for stealing the Item?" one of the guards asked.

Odd dug into his pocket, and pulled out his badge, which stated in clear black print his spot in Eurasia's Army. He thrust it in their faces, and asked, "Do I really need to explain myself to you guys? I'm the Queen's friend, and she needs my help."

At response to that, they immediately lowered their weapons. "What happened to the Queen?"

Odd shook his head, thinking up the quickest lie. "She fell down while taking a walk in the woods, and now there's a large gash in her arm. A branch caused it -I'm not exactly sure. She's in severe pain right now, and she really wants it gone."

"Then why did you choose to steal instead of proposing formally to us?" he asked, scrunching his eyebrows. "Wouldn't that seem like the more reasonable solution?"

"I know how stubborn and how much pain in the asses you guys are," Odd answered simply. "I don't have the time."

"Excuse me-"

"I have to leave." Taking out the Dragon's Barrette and causing a few gasps to echo around the room, Odd quickly took off. But before he left, he looked back and said, "Sorry for the inconveniences. I'll be sure to return!"

* * *

Aelita's arm was healed, courtesy of the Healing Hand. Then, she went home. Unexpectedly, Jeremie received a call from her just minutes after her departure.

"Jeremie!" Aelita greeted, her voice choked in tears. "Turn on the news right now!"

His eyes widened as he shuffled to the common room upstairs. Like the library, it was dusty with years of disuse. Coughing as he dusted off the screen, Jeremie asked between wheezes, "W-what channel?"

There was a pause. "Any channel," she answered.

He fumbled for the remote, and plopped himself atop the couch cushions. As mushrooms of dust billowed around his thighs, he turned on the t.v. set with a click. A sophisticated looking lady was on the screen, holding a stack of papers inside her minute hands. In bright, yellow letters was spelled 'BREAKING NEWS' as the top right corner displayed a picture of Aelita's castle.

"Investigators have reported a strange case concerning the Queen's Castle in Paris, France," the lady said. "Our very own Queen had been reported to come home, only to find all of her guards unconscious. In addition, she entered her room and found it mangled, torn apart. Nothing had been reported missing, though more searches are currently being conducted."

Jeremie shifted in his seat. Worry immediately took him.

The woman continued, "The guards have also reported flashes of black right before they were put unconscious..."

With those few words, Jeremie turned down the volume so that he could talk to Aelita. "Aelita.." he trailed off. "Tell me what exactly happened."

On the other side of the line, Aelita pressed her fist hard against her lips. "Jeremie.. promise you won't tell anyone."

Jeremie nodded, though he was confused. "Of course, Aelita," he replied. "I'm listening."

There was another long pause. "What scares me the most is how I can't find my little doll," Aelita said, her hands now shaking. "Daddy gave it to me one day, and told me to hide it... It was very abrupt, and I didn't know what was going on." She paused again. "After you told me about the Items of Schaeffer, it immediately came to my mind."

Jeremie's heart stopped. "Aelita, you can't possibly think..."

The Queen shook her head. "The book said that my father didn't want anything to do with the Items. He didn't want to finish making the last one. That's probably why he told me to hide it... Jeremie, the Kinimods immediately left after they cut me. Most witchcraft is done with some type of blood. And since I'm of Schaeffer bloodline.. I'm thinking that.. that maybe..."

Jeremie finished for her. "The Kinimods probably have the ninth item in their hands."

* * *

**Author's Note: And there you go. What happens next? I'm really really sorry about how late this was; there was camp, and my health wasn't exactly at its best. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :))**


	15. Recap

**Hey guys! Hopefully, I still have your attention (lately, my chapters haven't been my best). It's just that major writers' block has taken space in my mind, and recently, we have been dwelling on the most boring part of the story. But I promise you, it is worth it! I hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Recap

"Aelita," Jeremie continued, "What could the ninth item possibly do? Do you have any idea?"

On the other side of the line, Aelita was biting her thumbnail. Withdrawing it from between her teeth, she replied with a hollow 'no.'

"Think, Jeremie!" he mumbled to himself, grasping his locks of golden hair. Pacing back and forth, he said to Aelita, "Well, we know it's a doll. What does it look like?"

"It was an elf. Purple hair, blue cone hat, maroon shawl, white top and bottoms with a single black stripe, and a pink sash." She knew every minute detail of the doll from head to toe. She loved it deeply -it was one of the first gifts she had ever received from her father. Not only did it possess great power, but it also had great sentimental value. This situation was personal as well.

"Did you have a name for it?"

"Mr. Puck was what I named it," Aelita answered quickly. "But it had no real meaning -I was really little."

"What kind of power could be given to a doll?" Jeremie wondered aloud. "Could it possibly _not_ be related to its outwards appearance?"

"...Why not I come over?" Aelita abruptly suggested, already getting up from bed. "It'd be easier to discuss things there, Jeremie."

"And what about the others?"

"Bring them in as well."

"And Brynga?"

"No. I don't want her in this."

Jeremie shrugged. "Okay, Aelita," he answered, getting up and dusting the back of his pants. "I'll call the others."

_Slam!_ "Jeremie!"

"Or not."

* * *

Jeremie walked out into the arena to find William, Yumi, and Emily walking into headquarters. Everyone instantly crowded around the group.

Yumi and Emily were crying.

William stood rigid, a sullen look on his face.

Ulrich quickly approached them. Embracing Yumi, he began to stroke the back of her head. "What happened? Where's Anais?" he asked.

Yumi continued to sob. Between sniffs, she managed to choke out words that were close to being incoherent. "They- killed- her!"

Gasps echoed around the room. Murmurs of gossip spread around the hordes of people. Meanwhile, Yumi was scared. She felt responsible, being of highest rank.

They killed her, right in front of her eyes!

"You guys got caught?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes," Emily replied, stepping forward. Wiping off a fresh tear with the tip of her finger, she continued, "William got bit by a rat and tripped over a scrap of metal. He needs to get checked for any rabid diseases right now."

"I'm sorry, Jeremie," William murmured, looking down to the floor. He was tightly grasping his injured arm. "It's all my fault."

"It wasn't anyone's fault," Jeremie announced, turning heads his way. Scanning his eyes throughout the crowd of warriors, he continued, "Everything is okay. Resume training. Let's go, William."

As they left for the infirmary, everyone dispersed, the last of the murmurs dissipating before their ears.

Yumi was still in Ulrich's arms. She recovered minutes ago, but he didn't want to let go. She didn't want him to.

"Ahem."

Yumi turned around, and Ulrich looked up. As the last of the warriors left, it revealed Brynga to be standing next to them with her arms crossed, her face serious. "If you guys haven't heard, you guys have classes to teach," she said.

"Actually," Jeremie said, reappearing from the infirmary, "they have a meeting to attend. Ulrich, Yumi, in my room. _Now_."

* * *

Aelita sat next to Jeremie on his bed, her posture stiff and refined. Her hands were clasped tightly together in her lap, and she bit apprehensively on her lower lip. It was clear that she was nervous. Jeremie was as well.

Yumi and Ulrich sat atop Jeremie's desk. Odd lay sprawled across his chair. Their faces were blank -it was clear that they were completely oblivious.

"So..." Odd began, trailing off. "What is it you want to tell us?"

"Um..." Aelita pressed her fists against lips. "This might be of shock to you all, but... Jeremie and I have come to a conclusion. A very _serious_ conclusion."

"Uh, I don't like the sound of that..." Odd pointed out, his voice reaching a crescendo.

Yumi waved her hand as more silence ensued. "Well?" she urged. "Spit it out."

Jeremie let out a deep sigh. "We might have an idea as to what the ninth item is. That whole riot at Sancteloni's was just a way of getting Aelita's blood so that they could put power into the item. That's why they fled right after Aelita got that nasty gash in her arm."

"Oh my God," Yumi breathed out almost inaudibly.

"No way," Odd declared loudly.

"You can't be serious, Jeremie," Ulrich rasped, his throat becoming hoarse.

"That's not all," Jeremie continued. "Turns out, the Kinimods now have it. We don't know why they have it, or what it does, but it can't be good if they worked so hard to get it."

"They put all my castle guards unconscious," Aelita quickly added.

"Do any of you have any idea as to why this huge mess had to have occurred?" Jeremie asked. "If you do, I'd sure like to know."

Odd shook his head despondently. "Einstein, if you're stumped, then we are as well."

"Wait."

All heads turned Yumi's way. Taking a deep breath, she began, "While we were searching the alley, we heard Victoria and Dashiel talking about some kind of object. There is also a Parc Guell ball they mentioned -I guess they will be attending in a few nights so that they could actually get the material. It was the French spies who took the object, I'm sure of it, and they're passing it over to Dashiel at the ball. That, I can piece together."

"They took it from my castle, which stands in France," Aelita pointed out, nodding her head in consent. "That makes sense. I can see the connection."

"What does the item look like?" Ulrich asked.

"It was a doll," Aelita replied. "Do any of you have any idea as to what it does?"

"Bodily possession?" Yumi suggested. "Voo doo?"

"I don't know, Yumi," Aelita replied. "It seems far-fetched, don't you think? Plus, the items don't usually correspond with their outwards appearances, such as the guardian's ring, which provides a force field, the dragon's barrette, which carries out teleportation, and the Elemental Bender, which is an amulet."

"So, einstein," Odd began, "are we going to crash it?"

"We have no choice but to, Odd," Jeremie replied. "I'll search up the event, and I'll sign us in."

"Do it now," Aelita demanded.

Jeremie nodded, responding without another word. Whipping out his laptop, the young genius began typing furiously on its built-in keyboard. He punched in 'Parc Guell Ball' in the search bar and skimmed through the numerous results. "It takes place tomorrow night," Jeremie stated, scrolling down to read the full description. He clicked on one of the buttons on the menu bar, and began signing them in. "I'll give us false names. That way, if the Kinimods decide to hack into the attendees list, they won't see us on there."

"Can you do the same?" Aelita asked, peeping over to the blinking screen.

"Yes, and I just did," Jeremie quickly replied. "I don't see their names on the list- they probably used false names as well."

"Well, that's just great," Ulrich sighed. "Now we don't even know for sure if they're going to be there- they eventually found out that we were spying on them!"

Yumi shook her head, tears once again welling in her eyes. "They only saw Anais. And Dashiel said that they weren't going to reschedule."

After a few minutes of more silence, Jeremie spoke up once again. "Okay," he said, firmly pressing the enter key. "We're in."

* * *

**Author's Note: You pumped up for the mission? I sure am! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter- it was mostly focused on filling in the others about the ninth item. Do you guys have any ideas of what it does? Feel free to tell me in your reviews -if you decide to post one, of course. (:**


	16. Parc Guell: Pt I

**Hey guys! Heavy duty this chapter, the next, and probably the next next chapter, haha. I'm still thinking about splitting this up into two or three parts. Hm... Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this! Here's chapter 15.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Parc Guell Ball Pt. I

The pillar chamber of Parc Guell was just gorgeous. The ceiling and floor took on a beige vitreous luster, the columns polished to perfection. As the six members of Eurasia's Army entered the chamber, they watched as fellow ball-goers swayed to the rhythm of the classical music played by a live band standing in the corner. Everyone was dressed like a million bucks; the men were stiff in their tuxes while the women looked so graceful with their silk gowns swaying around their legs and hips. The warriors, well, they wore the most they could come up with in a last minute's notice.

Aelita and Jeremie were the first to enter. Their arms interlocked, they met the bouncer at the front steps. Tonight, Aelita was in disguise. Her bright pink hair was tucked comfortably in a brunette wig, twisted into a beautiful updo. Her floor length gown was a bubblegum pink, matching her lace up heels. Jeremie, meanwhile, was wearing a plain black tux with a white tie.

Yumi and Ulrich were next to enter. The Japanese geisha's hair was tied up into an updo which matched Aelita's though it was looser and stray hairs were there to frame her face. She wore a grey ombre gown that had a high-low skirt, showing off her grey boots and toned legs. Ulrich wore a matching unbuttoned grey tux.

Then, last but not least, was Odd and Brynga. Brynga was stunning, her golden hair tied up into a loose bun. Her spaghetti strap gown was a solid gold, cut knee length. Her pumps were matching as well. Odd wore a tux similar to Jeremie's.

What everyone didn't notice, though, was that each and every single one of them had a tiny earpiece stuck into their left ear. Each and every single one of them were a little uneasy as well.

"So, where will we start?" Aelita asked as they all sat themselves down at one of the tables.

"Yumi and Ulrich, stay here and scout the area," Jeremie ordered. As the two nodded in understanding, he continued, "Aelita and I will scout the dance floor-"

"Einstein, hopefully you can focus on the mission at hand?" Odd mentioned. As Jeremie sent a death glare his way, the purple-clad teen chuckled loudly.

"I'll give you and Brynga the bar," Jeremie said dully, almost hesitantly. "Just try and not get drunk, if you will. We will switch stations every ten minutes."

* * *

"C'mon, Jeremie!" Aelita laughed.

He almost regretted assigning the dance floor to himself. As he tried to follow Aelita's 'complicated' dance steps, he only succeeded in stepping on her toes.

"Sorry, Aelita," he mumbled sheepishly. As he kept his eyes glued to the floor, he could just feel her hand resting gently under his chin.

She was urging his head to look up so that his eyes were gazing into hers. He succumbed to the force, letting her guide his way.

He finally met Aelita's beautiful emerald eyes, as bright as the most lustrous of jewels. He found that she was...smiling. Her lips curled into the most perfect of curves, brightening her features instantly. She was glowing.

"Jeremie, don't be so hard on yourself." Aelita reassured, her smile growing bigger. "I appreciate the effort, and I'm having fun, really.."

Sometimes, he felt that Aelita deserved someone better. Someone who could actually dance, care for her better. To him -as cliche as it sounds- she was just perfect, an angel sent from heaven above, and he was a poor lost soul.

...Okay. He really needs to work on his self-esteem.

"...I'm sorry, Aelita."

"Don't be," she answered, running her fingers through his locks of blonde hair. "You're doing just fine."

As the pair continued to slowly sway with the rest of the couples, Jeremie mustered up the courage to quickly land a kiss upon her cheek. Aelita's face began to redden until it matched the shade of her real hair. She rested one of her hands on the spot where his soft lips came into contact with her skin, dazed.

Then, slowly, she smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the bar, Odd and Brynga were sitting in their stools, barely exchanging the slightest bit of words. Brynga stared in utter shock as Odd just downed a shot of tequila, his first one tonight.

She began to get nervous as Odd shook his head at the headache he could feel beginning to set in. "Odd," she began, "Maybe one shot is enough. You're going to get drunk."

He shook his head. "I turned eighteen ten months ago, and I barely took one sip of alcohol because of the fact Jeremie doesn't permit it at headquarters. I just want to take advantage of the situation."

"But you're going to get drunk," Brynga pointed out once again. "_Then_ what will Jeremie say?"

"Look, I'm just fi-"

Before Odd could answer, Brynga felt the earpiece begin to vibrate. Odd couldn't feel it over the thrumming already happening inside his head. "Oh, shucks," Brynga said sarcastically, shrugging. "We have to switch stations."

Odd groaned as Brynga forcefully pulled him by the arm to the tables.

* * *

"You nervous?" Ulrich asked.

Yumi shook her head. "I'm eager, actually," she replied. "After this, hopefully, we can figure out their plan."

Ulrich nodded. "I can relate."

"Do you see any of them, yet?" Yumi asked, scanning her eyes throughout the area.

Ulrich looked around as well. "No."

Silence then ensued. The pair spent the next few minutes doing absolutely nothing: twiddling fingers, tapping the table, adjusting their stiff clothes. Neither of them knew what to say. Thankfully, saving both of them from anymore awkwardness, both Yumi and Ulrich felt the vibration of the earpieces they both wore soon later.

With a smile, Yumi stepped out of her chair. "C'mon, Ulrich," she demanded, thrusting her thumb in the direction of the dance floor. "Let's dance."

His eyebrow twitched as he stepped clumsily out of his chair, tripping over one of the legs. He was nervous, mostly because he had no idea how to dance, and he knew just how fantastic Yumi was.

"U-uh, yeah, okay, Yumi," he answered, quickly taking her arm and pulling her to the dance floor, merging in with the others. Many couples were dancing tonight, creating a harmonious mass of ball dancers. Yumi wrapped her arms around Ulrich's neck, and he wrapped his around her waist. Yumi nodded slowly to lead, beginning to take slow steps so that Ulrich could catch on.

They both knew that there was a further reason as to why they were doing this rather than it simply just being a mission, though neither of them were able to admit it. Their minds slowly departing from thoughts concerning the Kinimods, the pair began to focus more on the person they cared so much for. As they swayed slowly from left to right, Yumi noticed just how nervous Ulrich was. It was almost as if he had two left feet, and Yumi almost laughed at the irony of it all. "Ulrich Stern.." she trailed off. "Pencak Silat Sensei, strong and courageous warrior... but dancing is what stumps you. Out of all things."

Ulrich sent her a glare. "I'm just new at this, okay?"

"Let me teach you," Yumi offered just as a slow song began to play. Seeing no objection from him, she continued, "First things first, take one calming breath."

Ulrich did as he was told. He could feel his muscles slowly relax, and he didn't even realize they were tense before.

Yumi continued her directiveness. She knew what was next. Blushing bashfully, she barely choked out, "Pull me close."

Without warning, Ulrich slowly pulled her closer, so close that their bodies were pressing against each other. Yumi gasped at the surprise. "-You're doing great," she reassured, lightly squeezing his hand. "Now take one step."

Ulrich pulled away a bit to look down at his feet. He did as he was told. He laughed a bit and smiled to himself, surprised that he was actually going through with this. Yumi did as well.

Digging her fingers into his soft brown hair, Yumi urged his head to look up. When he did, he gave her a questioning look.

"Keep your gaze on mine," she said.

Ulrich did as he was told. Staring into her deep brown eyes, he was once again captivated by her womanlike appeal. They held a mysterious glint to it, radiating a cold, unwelcoming aura from her. But, being one of the people closest to her, Ulrich was used to it, and took it more of like her strong defenses refusing to break down.

Mustering up the courage, Ulrich dipped her. Soon after, he gave a playful twirl.

"Perfect," Yumi commented. "You're getting the hang of it."

Slowly, she relaxed into the crook of his neck, peacefully shutting her eyes. She literally melted against his body, the pair of them so compatible, so destined.

She trusted him enough now to lead.

The two danced together in silence, each step getting less and less hesitant as more time passed. Each time their bodies brushed against each other, the feeling stayed, lingering atop their skin with a slight trail of warmth. "Yumi..." Ulrich began. "I want to tell you something." Never before had he felt so close to anyone. Never before did he realize he loved someone else so much. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while..."

That's when Yumi decided to pry open her eyes. Her heart began to pound relentlessly, clearly remembering the ultimatum Brynga brought up. She slowly pulled away from the crook of his neck to get a full look at his face, her face wretched with emotion.

"W-what i-is it?" she choked out, her body pumping and overflowing with anxiety.

"Well..." He was too afraid to say it. Too afraid to see her reaction. These few words he was itching so badly to just confess could make him lose everything.

"Ulrich, I-..."

Their gazes locked, refusing to break. The two looked at each other, an unquenchable craving nestling inside their hearts that could only be satisfied by being with one another. Ulrich didn't have to pull her in for her to feel the attractiveness she had towards him. Yumi didn't have to pull him in for him to feel the attractiveness he had towards her. There was one thing the both of them knew that was the right thing to do, something that was long overdue.

So long overdue.

Before they realized it, they were leaning in, their lips mere centimeters from one another...

Then, after a brief second, Yumi really came to her senses, and immediately pulled away.

Yumi's breathing hitched. Her heart was torn. Ulrich noticed her apprehensiveness, and tried to calm her down, rubbing her arms hastily. She was stone cold, and Ulrich was scared. His face wretched in concern multiplied by a thousand when Yumi began to uncontrollably breathe, her chest rising and lowering in an unrhythmic tempo. It was almost as if she was on the verge of tears. Never did Ulrich see someone change expression so quickly -now on her face was an expression of heartache, sorrow, and dejection... There was only so much she could take.

"Yumi," Ulrich called to her in a pleading tone. "Yumi, what's wrong?"

She only shook her head, refusing to answer. Ulrich embraced her, her limp body beginning to shake. "I'm scared too, Yumi," Ulrich began, stroking the back of her head. "But we can work through this together, I _swear._"

The tears Yumi kept back threatened to burst from her tear ducts. She blinked them back. "Get.. away from me." she breathed out, forcefully pushing him away. "I don't want _anything..._ to do with you."

By those mere words, Ulrich instantly felt like he was talking to an alientated version of Yumi. By those mere words, he felt his chest constrict, though it felt so _empty_.

With all these signs, he would've swore that she was hinting on something further.

"I-I don't understand-"

Yumi slowly backed away, the hordes of ball dancers on the verge of consuming her until Ulrich couldn't see her anymore. Grasping her left arm with her right hand, she took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, Ulrich. For reasons I can't tell you, I know that it's best that we don't... go that far."

"So what you're suggesting is-"

"Just friends, that's all," Yumi completed for him, declaring it for the millionth time. "I just... can't tell you why."

"But Yumi..." Ulrich trailed off, taking a step towards her. Creating a chasm in his heart, she stepped back in response. "I _really_ like you."

She wanted to say the same thing, to reciprocate the feeling. She wanted him to know it. But if she really cared for her friends' lives, she really shouldn't. Hurting Ulrich almost felt like she was hurting herself, the pungent feeling biting into her equally -she overwhelmingly didn't want to break everything off.

Screw her happiness. She wanted _Ulrich_ to be happy.

Too bad they were after the same thing.

They were just so close...

Saving the day, Yumi felt the earpiece vibrate. "C'mon," she said despondently, nodding her head in the direction towards the bar. "It's rotation time."

As they walked to their next station, Yumi realized how unfair she was being, suggesting him to go further and then breaking things off immediately. If only he knew what was at stake, and how sorry she was, _maybe _he'd understand.

If only he knew...

* * *

**Author's Note: Hopefully, I described their feelings enough for you all to enjoy this. I'm not exactly the 'Romance Writing Type,' if that's even a type. Haha, well anyway, feel free to review, guys, I really appreciate it! I love you all. ((;**


	17. Parc Guell Pt II

**Okay, guys, I hope you're ready for this! A pretty long chapter. And in less than a week! :)) I'm so proud of myself, LOL.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Parc Guell Pt. II

"What'll it be, gorgeous?" the bartender asked. He had greasy, sand-colored hair, heavy acne, and piercings were on his eyebrow, nose, and lower lip. Gauges that looked like life-sized oreos pulled down at his earlobes.

Aelita was oblivious to his flirtation, though she lightly blushed at the compliment. "Just a water, please, thank you," she politely answered.

Flinging his towel over his shoulder, he replied, "Are you sure you don't want a drink or two?"

Jeremie, who was half listening, shot him a dirty look. "She only wants a water," he said. His tone was refined, polite, but anyone could detect a hint of contempt in it.

The bartender, having noticed it too, held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Okay, okay," he said. "Chill, man."

When Jeremie and Aelita turned back to the direction of the dance floor, the bartender turned to his shelf of mixing ingredients. He poured water into a glass... And he certainly didn't forget the ecstasy tablet he hid inside his pants pocket for the most prettiest of women.

"Jeremie, how long until the next station?" Aelita asked, taking a small sip of her water without forgetting a thanks for the bartender.

Jeremie checked his watch. "About five minutes."

Aelita nodded. Then, she instantly straightened her posture. "Oh, Jeremie, look!" she squealed, cupping one cheek with one hand, the other pointing to the dance floor. "They really like each other, don't they?"

Jeremie followed her gaze to find Yumi and Ulrich dancing together, her head on his shoulder, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Their eyes were closed, and Ulrich was quietly murmuring things into her ear. Jeremie grinned at the sight. "Yeah, Aelita, they do."

The pinkette grabbed his hand. "Just imagine, they'll be just as happy as us soon."

Jeremie's face slightly reddened, but quickly faded. He gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, hopefully."

"Oh, I wonder what they're talking about," she said, her eyes gleaming like the prettiest of jewels.

Aelita took another sip of water. Then, suddenly, she felt a slight charge take place inside her head. She pressed her temples slightly, shutting her eyes in slight pain. She yelped almost inaudibly. She didn't know what was happening -why does her head hurt so much? Aelita opened her eyes and looked around -her eyes twitched and she couldn't focus on just one sight.

She shut her eyes again, gripping the edge of the counter until her knuckles turned white. Her purse slid off her shoulder, hitting the floor with an alerting clink. Jeremie's breath hitched, clearly piecing together that something was wrong.

Meanwhile, the bartender grinned with delight.

"Aelita," Jeremie called out, placing his hands on her shoulders and scrunching his eyebrows in concern. "Aelita, are you okay?" He tipped her chin so that he could have a better look at her. Aelita didn't open her eyes; their lids seemed like they were going to crease from being shut so tightly.

She continued to grip her hair securely. Her head throbbed -she could literally feel her brain pulsing against her skull. "Jeremie, my head hurts... Help- me."

Aelita began to fall off her stool in exhaustion. Jeremie widened his eyes in shock. "Aelita!"

He gripped her shoulders, helping her back up. Wrapping her arm around himself, he began to walk to the tables slowly, tripping over her feet once in a while. Jeremie tried to comfort her by rubbing soothing circles along the small of her back. She didn't seem like she was receding back to comfort, though. "Aelita, how are you feeling?" he asked with apprehensiveness.

He veered his head to face Aelita's paling features. Throwing him off, an elated smile was on her face, like she was going through absent euphoria. It looked as if her mind was completely blank of thoughts that made sense. "Well, hello, Jeremie," she slurred. "How are you tonight?"

Jeremie's eyes multiplied in size considerably from a sudden revelation.

The drink...

Setting her down at one of the tables, Jeremie quickly replied, "Aelita, I'm going to have a little talk with the bartender. You stay put."

When he began to leave, Aelita reached her arms out towards her boyfriend yearningly. "Jeremie, k-kiss me!"

The blonde shook his head. An angered expression engraved in his face, Jeremie continued his walk towards the bar. Clenching his fists tightly, he readied himself to arrest this seemingly random guy. How _dare _he mess with the Queen's drink.

How _dare_ he mess with _his_ girlfriend.

When he got closer, his eyes spotted another predicament.

He noticed the bartender was absent.

Turning his attention back to the tables, he found Aelita clumsily following the greasy-haired delinquent towards the back. As he guided her with a smirk, Aelita trailed behind him in his wake, that same, empty smile ingrained into her face.

Jeremie's heart pounded harder. The worst thoughts possible lurked in his mind. All of the things the bartender could do to Aelita while she was half-aware of the things around her sent shivers down Jeremie's spine. He shifted his gaze back to the bar and narrowed his eyes.

And looking to the left, he found himself in yet another predicament. He was too consumed with Aelita to notice...

There was Dashiel in black tie attire, exchanging quick messages with another man.

And between them, was the doll with the same features Aelita mentioned.

Jeremie has a heck of a lot of decisions to make.

* * *

Dashiel sat himself down, gripping the edge of his jacket to keep it from revealing what laid under. Soon later, a fellow French spy sat himself a few stools down.

The head of the Kinimods slowly held out his black gloved hand, wiggling his fingers with expectancy. Pulling down his shades, he eyed the spy intently.

Much to his dismay, the spy looked away in the opposite direction, holding his hands up in a pausing gesture. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he began, chuckling. "Show me the blood." His voice was gruff, scratchy, and optimistic -the complete opposite of Dashiel's: smooth, monotoned, and collected.

Dashiel let out a punctuated sigh, shaking his head with defeat. "Alright," he replied, slowly pulling away the covers of his jacket. On the inner fabric bore a small pocket, holding a minuscule test tube. Swiftly, Dashiel removed it from its confines and let the spy take a quick glance at it.

Dashiel wordlessly tilted the test tube around, letting the red liquid swirl against the peripheries of glass. Under his fedora, he was smirking slightly as the French Spy gazed at it with dark eyes gleaming in wonder, with hunger. When he thought he had enough, Dashiel briskly withdrew the tube from the spy's gaze, causing his face to drop for a mere second before brightening up again.

Once the blood was concealed, the spy leaned away from Dashiel. Sighing gruffly, he pulled out a large suitcase and slammed it against the wooden counter.

Dashiel held his face in his hands, sighing in exasperation. "Idiots, you all are," he snarled, swiping his hand across the air. "Would you like it if all the attention was directed at the two of us? Surely it is inefficient to lug such a cumbersome case around just to hold a mere doll."

"It isn't just any mere doll," the spy answered. "If you can remember, it is the ninth item of Schaeffer, possessing... gruesome powers. Extra precautions are required, are they not?"

Dashiel wrinkled his nose. "You smell of beer."

"And you smell of perfume."

"It is cologne," Dashiel retorted in a low voice, pulling the edges of his jacket closer together. "something _you_ need. Now hand over the object, will you? I have authority over you."

Obeying without another word, the spy unlatched the fastenings of the suitcase.

He slid the doll across the counter with just enough force for it to stop right in front of Dashiel. The blonde grabbed it, eyed it for a few seconds, and deposited it inside his jacket. Pressing his finger against the earpiece, he began sending a transmission to #625. "You may order the spies to retreat; the object has been successfully passed on."

"Roger," her delicate voice replied. "Now, on to phase two, if you may."

"Of course," Dashiel replied, turning his stool just enough to see Yumi and Ulrich. The pair were too engrossed in their separate thoughts to even notice him there. Smirking, he added, "Keep an eye on the rest."

"I got it."

Before Dashiel could step out of his stool, the oblivious French Spy added, "Make sure you apply the blood in the heart of the item."

Dashiel rose an eyebrow. Rotating his head so that his gaze was at him, Dashiel asked, "Where, might I ask, is the heart?" He knew he had to apply the blood _somewhere_, but he didn't exactly know where that place was.

"We did some research," the spy answered, nudging his glasses back to the top of his nose. "There is a small gash in the back of that doll. Inside lays a key. Apply the blood on the key, and deposit it back in its respectful confines."

Dashiel nodded slowly. "Thank you for the... _sudden _input."

He shrugged in response. "I apologize," he mumbled.

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich were having a rough night. After that upsetting discussion that occurred during their _first_ dance, the two of them just didn't know what to say to each other anymore. Ulrich just _knew_ that the mission at hand was the cause for the girl's reluctance; it was the only reason, wasn't it? ...His theory that was established during that first meeting with Jeremie concerning the Kinimods has been, unfortunately, proven right.

Their relationship could become, if not already, -_purely- _platonic.

Yumi was just at a loss for words. She didn't know if she should feel well or distraught. She yearned to express the elation she felt at Ulrich's wholehearted words -he likes her a lot, and yes, as more than a friend. But one ultimatum kept her from showing her feelings that undoubtedly and hopefully surpassed his, the feeling of want, attractiveness. She never thought of anyone else she would want to be with.

The feeling of Ulrich's body against hers still lingered; she could feel the heat rising again. She just felt so protected, so safe in his arms, like nothing could penetrate the shields he had provided and put up for her.

The coldness and emptiness she felt that followed after departing from within Ulrich's arms took over her senses again just by a mere second. She inwardly shivered in response, rubbing her hands across the length of her arms.

As she looked down to the tiled floor, she was met with a black-gloved hand held out to her. And not anyone else.

Looking up, Yumi found Dashiel's glowing amber eyes gazing into hers. After tucking one stray hair behind her ear, Yumi began to reach inside her cardigan, groping for her tessen fans.

Dashiel secured his hands over hers. Yumi's breathing hitched, and he noticed her tense up. Her feelings still a jumbled mess, Yumi refused to look up at him. Gazing at the floor, she took deep calming breaths, trying her best to ignore the coldness that radiated from Dashiel.

Yumi wrinkled her nose and inhaled in pleasure. His scent was just intoxicating...

Ulrich noticed her pause. He shifted his gaze from Yumi to Dashiel in worry. His senses multiplied by a thousand.

No one fought. No one jumped into battle. "Hello, Yumi," Dashiel mused. She shivered at the mere call of here name -he never addressed her like a real gentleman would a lady, coated heavily with politeness and respect. Smirking at her uneasiness, he continued, "There is no need for a fight tonight. I just want one dance. You look just beautiful tonight."

Yumi's mind raced a million miles an hour, from the mission to Dashiel's offer. Would she risk tearing apart her relationship with Ulrich even more just for the sake of the mission? Maybe so. Her GPS locator which was meant to be attached to Dashiel by the end of the night burned a hole in her pocket. She could almost feel its buzz.

Looks like the scale was tipping in favor of the mission. If she could just dance with Dashiel, Yumi could sever ties with Ulrich, and she could possibly rid of all the feelings he possibly had for her so that everyone could stay safe from Brynga. Ulrich couldn't _possibly_ like the girl who danced with the enemy.

But Yumi knew Ulrich was smart enough to realize her outwards intentions. She wanted to complete the mission, simple as that. He was mature enough to understand and get over it.

But one more question arose. Why is he asking her this seemingly simple question?

She knew there was a deeper meaning.

Surprising both Ulrich and herself, Yumi answered the question with the reply that succumbed into Dashiel's coercing. "Okay, Dashiel," she answered with the steadiest voice she could muster, hopefully certain she knew what she was doing. "Lead on."

* * *

Jeremie, in dire need of more time, ignored Dashiel's appearance and bolted in Aelita's direction. He figured that having just rotated stations, Ulrich and Yumi are bound to find out about the Head of the Kinimods on their own.

...Hopefully.

Aelita, naive and clueless, was able to release Jeremie of all the guilt he felt from leaving Ulrich and Yumi hanging. His heart was pumping so hard, he was afraid it would stop altogether.

The back of Aelita's now brunette head just barely managed to stay in his sights, swaying uncertainly from left to right. She was clearly drowsy. And confused. Aelita used the walls for support as she clumsily walked through the hall which clearly led to the entrance of the forest -Parc Guell was originally a park, so a great amount of greenery stood in the area. Right in front of her sauntered the greasy haired bartender, his fingers wrapped tightly around her forearm.

From inside his sleeve, Jeremie pulled out one of his polished daggers. He then began his aim.

With a mere flick of his wrist, the dagger launched itself out of Jeremie's hand and flew across the length of the corridor. It caught in the doorway straight ahead of the bartender, causing him to stop in mid-stride. He turned around with trepidation, eyeing Jeremie with uncertainty, tentativeness.

The bartender's eyes reasonably increased in size when Jeremie pulled out his badge, stating in fine print his position in the police department. "Jeremie Belpois at your service, head of the police department," he said with distinguishable abrasiveness. "I'm sorry to say this to you, sir, but you are under arrest. I'll let you go once you release my _girlfriend._"

The bartender chuckled lightly, diminishing Jeremie's glare. "Sh-she's your girlfriend?" he gasped, clearly amused.

Jeremie sent him a look. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "And how, by anyway, does that amuse you?"

"I-It's just that you're such a NERD!" he replied, pointing fingers at him. "How can you possibly attract a babe like her?"

"...Has anyone given you a sense of respect?" Jeremie sighed, waving his police badge all the more vigorously. "I'm head of the police department."

He put a hand on his hip, clearly giving Jeremie an attitude. "For all we know, that badge could be fake. NERD! She's so out of your league."

Jeremie sighed, trying his best to ignore the bartender's severe cystic acne and highly greasy hair. Keeping a stern gaze towards him, he retorted, "I guess we both have the same problem, since it seems you have to _intoxicate_ her to get her to notice you." Leaving him speechless, Jeremie grabbed Aelita's arm, who was now doing a double take. "I have no time to deal with you right now. I wish you a good night."

Sharply turning around on his heel, Jeremie draped Aelita's arm around his shoulders. "C'mon, Aelita. Let's get you home," he consoled. He just didn't know what to do. Aelita was sick, and there was Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, Brynga having no idea where they are.

He'll just call them once they get back to headquarters.

Aelita only moaned in response.

* * *

Dashiel's hand grazed her pale skin. Grasping onto it as if he was courting her, Yumi couldn't help but have her heart pump the adrenaline harder, letting it course freely through her body. She didn't know exactly what the heck she was doing, all the more reason to be anxious

Yumi stifled her yelp as Dashiel wrapped his arms around her waist and forcefully pulled her close, so _close_ that their bodies were brushing against one another. Taking one deep breath, Yumi reached hesitantly for his neck, coiling her arms around it. At that moment, she wanted to strangle it.

The GPS locator was clasped securely within her right fist.

Slowly, Yumi placed her head in the crook of his neck, chills going down her spine from the uneasiness of it all. She just didn't want to look into those amber eyes -they were just too menacing for _anyone_ to look at. Uncertainty taking over her, the pair began to slowly sway to the rhythm of the music.

As Yumi gazed at the dancers around them, her head began to be conquered by dizziness. All the contradictories zooming across her mind managed to grind her consciousness with merciless claws, tearing at it with confusion, yearning, hesitancy, sadness, anger, and least of all, elation.

And she couldn't do anything about it.

"Well, Yumi," Dashiel began, dipping her with swiftness. Yumi gasped at the surprise, widening her eyes in shock. Smirking at her perplexity, he continued, "what brings you here tonight?"

Yumi scrunched her eyebrows with aggravation. She didn't want to talk. Sighing in defeat, she replied impulsively, "What do you think? We want to find out what the hell it is you guys are planning."

Dashiel chuckled. "It flatters me that you and your pesky friends are baffled by our strategizing."

"I'm not trying to flatter you, you ba-"

"No need to use such words, dear Yumi," Dashiel interrupted, whispering into her ear in a deep, smooth voice. Yumi shivered as his breath danced across his skin, repulsed by the idea of him being so close.

Yumi could feel aggravation boiling inside of her. She was sick of Dashiel's politeness and patronization. "What are you even doing?" Yumi spat back. "Why are you even _dancing_ with me?"

Dashiel laughed again. "Why, to get your plans out of the way, of course."

Not daring to take another breath, Yumi lightly placed the GPS locator on his right shoulder blade. Her breath hitched at his cunning ability to dissect absolutely _everything_. Exhaling slowly, Yumi stuttered out, "Wh-what plans?"

"I know about the GPS locator you are planning to adhere to me," he simply answered, reaching for his shoulder blade. Detaching it from his clothes, he waved it in front of her face to taunt her. Yumi's eyes followed every single motion. "You little tumors are just so predictable."

Yumi watched in horror as Dashiel crushed the mini device inside his calloused fist, letting its remains drop to the floor. He immediately pulled away, leaving Yumi's arms vacant. "And now, the mission is accomplished. I bid you goodbye."

And like that, Dashiel slowly backed away, disappearing into the shadows. Yumi was left speechless, her eyes considerably enlarged and her skin as pale as a dove.

Yumi didn't notice Ulrich approaching until he wrapped his arms around her. She just froze, letting her limp body be hugged. Her eyes still wide open as she gazed blankly at the space in front of her, her mind clueless. "Yumi, did you do it?" Ulrich asked.

She slowly shook her head, not replying with any words at all.

He had understood. Once again, Yumi didn't know whether to feel heartbroken or just relieved.

Yumi gradually closed her eyes and let a few hesitant tears flow. They streamed down her face slowly, the moonlight catching its luminosity.

It felt good to let everything go once in a while.

Brynga then came with a drunken Odd draped over her shoulders. She shuffled over to the pair, causing Yumi to instantly pull away. "I saw the whole Dashiel situation," Brynga began, shifting her gaze over to Yumi. "I thought it was best to not interfere."

Ulrich nodded. "You made the right choice."

Brynga sent Yumi a look. "What's the matter?" she asked, batting her eyelashes innocently. As if she didn't know.

Yumi sighed. She left the question unanswered. Shaking her head, she grumbled, "Can we just leave?"

"Yeah, we should," Brynga replied, shifting the position of Odd's arms once again. "Odd isn't looking too good."

"Jeremie also sent me a transmission a few minutes ago," Ulrich added.

* * *

Jeremie and Aelita entered the infirmary. The pinkette was now twirling, unreasonably elated.

"Is it hot in here, or what?" Aelita asked, fanning herself. Jeremie, meanwhile, shook his head.

"You need to calm down," he ordered. "The bartender almost raped y-!"

Aelita clutched onto the fabrics of Jeremie's tie, pulling him in for a long, passionate kiss. His eyes automatically widened, his glasses sliding haphazardly down his face. "Aelita-" he mumbled incoherently against her lips before she started another round. "Aelita, stop," he whined.

He shrugged out of her grasp and collided into the wall, taking deep stabling breaths. Pressing his palms against the wall, his heart began to beat harder as Aelita advanced, her eyes large and lustful.

Jeremie's face began heating up as he saw Aelita begin to fumble with the buttons of his flannel shirt. "A-Aelita, y-you're not yourself," he quivered with slight uneasiness. He widened his eyes in utter shock, surprised that Aelita was actually going to go through with this if he let him.

Now that he thought about it, it _was_ hot in here.

Surprisingly, Aelita was quick with the buttons. Before Jeremie knew it, she was using her slim fingers to nudge the fabric off his shoulders, revealing his toned frame and unblemished skin.

Aelita hungrily roamed her eyes along his body, undoubtedly liking what she saw. To her, Jeremie was gorgeous, and she wanted him. She wanted desperately to be connected to him, to be related to him in that way... And she knew there was only one way in getting that.

Aelita began to crawl up his body with a blank, dreamy smile, tracing circles into his skin. Jeremie shivered with unwanted pleasure at every touch, his mind threatening to retreat into mush.

She was literally straddling him at this point.

Aelita tugged again at his tie and crushed her lips to his. She kissed him repeatedly, fervently, and literally shoved her tongue through his layer of teeth and down his throat. Jeremie's eyes were the size of saucers at this point, as he began to choke.

He didn't know that Aelita could kiss like this.

Jeremie's glasses fell off his face, dropping to the floor. He pushed against Aelita's shoulders with all the force he had, but she persisted.

Before Jeremie knew it, she was reaching for the zipper of her dress, which just so happened to be conveniently at her side. A devilish smile beginning to grow on her face, she began to drag it down slowly, as if she wanted Jeremie to get excited first.

He shook his head, the redness of his face refusing to fade. Jeremie respected her too much to let her do that.

The zipper was half an inch down when Jeremie wrapped his hand around hers, stopping her. "Aelita.. please stop," he said gently, guiding the zipper back up.

The pinkette sent him a pout, but a smile quickly returned to her face. Looking down, she smirked evilly at his belt, which she began undoing.

Jeremie widened his eyes. She can't stop, can she?

Now _that_ was going too far. He didn't want to do anything that Aelita would regret once she came back to her senses. If they did _that_, her reputation would be crushed...

And plus... the infirmary wasn't the most romantic of places.

"Jeremie, is everything okay?"

Yumi raised her eyebrow when she heard the clinking of a belt. She was hesitant to open the door but did anyway. Whatever she was about to see, well, she didn't care. "Jeremie, what's wrong-"

Yumi eyes noticeably enlarged. Her mouth agape, she shifted her gaze from Aelita, then Jeremie. He was shirtless, and was now fumbling to put it back on. He then got his glasses and stood up to meet Yumi's eye level.

Aelita, though, wasn't embarrassed the slightest bit. She looked at Yumi with a dumbfounded smile.

Then, she began her twirls again, throwing her hands up in glee.

Jeremie sighed and smacked his face with the palm of his hand. Nudging Yumi outside, he left as well, and closed the door behind him.

"_Whooo_!" he heard her yell out. Jeremie noticeably winced.

"What the hell happened to Aelita?" Yumi pestered. "Why is she like this?"

Jeremie sighed, shaking his head. "There was a bartender who was flirting with her, and apparently, he put an ecstasy tablet into her glass of water. Does the drug actually do that to people, make them more... er.. _sexually_ active?"

Yumi gave him a '_duh_!' look. "Jeremie, ecstasy can make you horny. That guy clearly wanted to-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Jeremie interrupted, raising his palm to stop her. He didn't want to hear it. To imagine something like that being done to young, innocent Aelita made him want to crush the man even more.

Yumi's face grew into a disgusted look. She couldn't believe that what could've happened had to be _that_. The pair of them were just too innocent, making it seem just so inconceivable. "...I can't believe you almost did it with Aelita," she said, largely cringing from the outside.

Jeremie's face noticeably reddened. He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you should work to calm her," he suggested, guiding Yumi towards the door. "I don't want Ulrich or Odd to go in there, because, you know..." he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Yumi nodded in understanding.

"_Jeremiiiiieeee_!" he heard Aelita shriek in a sing-song voice, pounding her fists against the door. "I loooove you!"

Jeremie groaned, sliding down the wall. "I'm gonna lie on my bed for a while," he said, beginning his trudge towards his room. "Thank you for saving me there, Yumi."

She gave him a two finger salute and smiled. "No problem, Jeremie. Good night."

As Jeremie began his walk to his room he paused, finding Yumi not moving a single inch since they bade each other good bye. Taking a deep breath, he offered, "If there's anything wrong, Yumi, you know you can talk to me about it."

In response, Yumi shook her head. She replied, "Why not we wait until morning? It's been quite of a hectic night, hasn't it?"

Jeremie nodded, still not choosing to turn and face her. "Yeah. Maybe you're right.. Be ready to discuss what happened tonight tomorrow morning... Good night, Yumi."

"Good Night."

* * *

**Author's Note: Anyone need a large bucket of ice? Haha, I'm only joking. This was meant to be more funny than serious. Nevertheless, I hope you all liked it! :)) I tried to not go that deep in that scene -I kept it as PG as I could (hence why there was no mention of men or lady parts, orgasms (because they weren't even that far into it), Jeremie 'hardening' from arousal, and all that stuff). Ahem. So I'm 'sorry' to all the perverts out there. Let's see... anything more to say... nope! Well, I hope you all liked the chapter (I say once again)! Feel free to review guys! I'm really really curious as to how I did! Poor Aelita... **


	18. Possible Treason

**Hey guys! Get ready to be mildly shocked! Hopefully this chapter won't disappoint! I would like to thank Aniline, AelitaOfTheWolves, Blueblur2000, obsessivefanno.4, Muffinmilk317, aelitalyoko99, rosamea, ZachFlame, and jerlita for the reviews! You guys are awesome! Love you all! :))**

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Chapter 17: Possible Treason

The next morning, there was a scream.

"Aelita, calm down," Yumi consoled. Aelita's shaking hands were clasped tightly inside hers. The two literally spent the whole morning in the infirmary, and so far, there had been no luck in calming the pinkette down. "There was nothing you could do! And nothing happened! There's no reason to be so distressed," she said for the millionth time.

Aelita moved her gaze up to face Yumi. Her green eyes were glossed over in tears. Wiping them off, she hugged herself and said despondently, "I'm so embarrassed, Yumi..."

Yumi's face turned tender in understanding. Pulling her into a hug as Aelita sniffed uncontrollably, she began rubbing soothing circles into her back. "You're innocent, okay?" she assured in a placid tone, pulling away to give Aelita a hard look. "Jeremie understands."

Aelita still shook, clenching her petite fists until her knuckles turned a pallid shade of white. "Wh-why did this happen to me?"

Yumi's heart broke when she saw Aelita's eyes so innocent, so clueless. Looking into them, it was fairly evident that she never deserved anything like this. Yumi paused to think, probing for ways to sugar-coat the grotesque, realistic facts. "...The bartender wanted to bring you into a state where... where you weren't yourself, and.. and.. uh..."

Aelita nodded in understanding. Timidly, she finished for Yumi, barely squeaking out, "He wanted to partake in the process of reproduction with me, didn't he?"

Yumi let out a sigh of defeat. Well, that was a better way of putting it without it sounding too disgusting. "Um.. yes," she answered.

Aelita's face considerably fell. "Oh, I don't think I could face Jeremie anymore..."

"Aelita, don't think like that..." Yumi trailed off, grasping onto Aelita's limp shoulders. "He still loves you.. a lot."

More tears came from her eyes. "B-but how could he?!" she shrieked between sobs, causing Yumi to slightly flinch. "I-I almost cheated on him!"

Yumi shook her head. "No, you didn't.. You couldn't do anything about it. That isn't considered cheating, Aelita. It was forced upon you."

Aelita fell into Yumi's arms, her fists laying dumbly at her sides. Yumi hugged her tight, telling her repeated phrases in an attempt to hush her.

And like that, she cried until her eyes couldn't produce anymore tears.

Meanwhile, Yumi stared at the wall behind Aelita. Her face was almost as despondent. She had problems as well.

Soon, Yumi will have to leave.

And slowly, she let out a few tears as well.

* * *

"Anyone want to explain?" Jeremie asked, sitting himself down on his chair. "What happened last night?"

Silence quickly filled the room. The still air was musty with shame, fear, and uneasiness. Yumi shifted her gaze from left to right, looking too see if anyone else would rather explain. Unfortunately, Odd, who was sprawled across the einstein's bed, stayed silent, staring up to the ceiling. He was the one who got drunk after all. Ulrich didn't want to talk -he was still agitated by the complex situation from last night. Brynga, having grew a disliking towards Yumi, didn't bother entering the conversation. And lastly, Aelita wouldn't dare look at Jeremie or risk getting sick to the stomach. And plus, she was not herself half the time.

Yumi sighed in defeat. Keeping up a stoic face, she declared, "I take full responsibility, Jeremie. Dashiel found out about the GPS and removed it once I applied it."

_SLAM_!

Jeremie's fist connected forcefully with the dark wood, but nobody flinched. He was furious, and the source of the anger was sprouting from the Kinimods' mere existence rather than the warriors' failures, and they all knew that. It already made him mad enough that another enemy arose after they worked so hard to get rid of the first, and now they have to find another way to get rid of them. They're just too... smart? Intelligent? That was the understatement of the year.

How could've Dashiel known about the GPS?

Brynga, Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, and Aelita sat cross-legged on Jeremie's bed, their facial expressions downcast, especially Yumi's. She felt all the blame crush her, because she knew it was her fault. She was the one given the responsibility, and she was the one that wasn't able to carry it out.

Maybe she made the act too noticeable.

"Did Dashiel say anything to you at all?" Jeremie asked.

Yumi nodded. "Yes," she replied. "He asked me to dance, in fact. He whispered to me about how predictable we are, and how he already knew what we were going to do. I didn't know what I did wrong."

Jeremie bobbed his head in understanding. Sitting himself down, he turned to look at his laptop. "Then I guess we have to tackle this situation in some other way..." he stated, scratching his head in question. "Say, what were the rest of you doing?"

Brynga and Odd sent each other hidden looks. Brynga nodded to Odd, who only shook his head back, a pleading look glossing over his eyes. Last remnants of the hangover he persevered through this morning are still managing to fade, and he just didn't want to deal with such a trivial situation with Jeremie. Brynga spoke up, "The three of us just felt like we shouldn't interfere, or risk the fact of causing a whole fight throughout the whole place."

Jeremie sighed and ran his palm across his face. "Ah," he simply said, laying back in his chair. Shaking his head, he said, "You guys are dismissed. I'll tell you guys about what we'll do later... But, Aelita, I need to talk to you."

The four of them left, and Yumi sent Aelita a look before leaving herself. When the door shut, Aelita turned to face the window, away from Jeremie's gaze. She didn't want to look at him. Shutting her eyes, she hugged herself tightly and ran her hands along the length of her arms. She still felt the embarrassment engulf her. She just wanted to.. disappear.

Aelita heard a few footsteps behind her before feeling two strong arms wrap around her body. Letting out a shy smile, she began to slowly sway inside Jeremie's embrace, letting comfort overtake her. At that moment, she felt the embarrassment become just a memory.

"Hey..." Jeremie whispered slowly into her ear, veering his head the best he could to look into her beautiful eyes. "Are you okay?"

Aelita hesitated before nodding at a quick pace. "I'm... getting better," she answered, her eyes still peacefully closed.

"Don't worry so much about last night," he brought up. "...I completely understand... -Aelita, I still love you. More than you can ever imagine..."

The pinkette turned to face him, opening her eyes to reveal her glossy orbs. She smiled before sliding her hands up to the collar of his flannel shirt. She sighed, shifting her gaze to the side. "...I know," she answered in a soft voice, lifting her fixed look. "And I love you too, Jeremie... I just-" she began sniffing, "-I just feel so dirty right now. I can only imagine how you felt."

Jeremie used the tip of his finger to wipe away a tear that managed to break free. "Hey, nothing happened, Aelita."

"..How will I ever know I'm forgiven?" Aelita asked, lifting her gaze to stare into his forgiving blue eyes. "H-how will I know you're still okay with me?"

Jeremie thought for a second, breaking from her pleading gaze for just a moment. Then, his face quickly lit up when the thought of a perfect answer came to place. He smiled at her before his reply.

Before she knew it, a soft pair of lips met hers gently.

A long, passionate kiss.

Aelita's lips molded perfectly into Jeremie's -the motion was just so instinctive, so inevitable. Instantly, the events of last night drifted from her mind, as Aelita began to think more about her love for Jeremie. How thankful she was to have him. How perfect he was to her.

She didn't want him to slip from his fingertips.

They kissed for a few minutes. Jeremie's arms were wrapped instinctively around Aelita's waist as her fingers were a mess inside his locks of hair.

When they finally pulled away, there was still a nervous glint inside Jeremie's eyes, an edge which Aelita didn't bother to notice before due to her own turmoil. Digging her fingers inside his hair, she began stroking as she asked, "Jeremie... is there anything wrong?"

Jeremie shook his head. "I-It's nothing, Aelita."

"Jeremie," Aelita condescended, crossing her arms, "you have always been so comforting and there for me. I want to do the same."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's very silly, actually-"

"Tell me." Aelita's green eyes were glinting with eagerness.

"Well..." Jeremie trailed off. "It's just that.. you being the Queen and all. Isn't everything about you made public?"

Aelita nodded, creasing her eyebrows in confusion. "Of course, Jeremie," she answered. She had no idea where this was going, and in truth, she didn't like it.

"Well..." Jeremie once again repeated, gesturing between the two of them. "I was thinking.. That night with the bartender, he was amused at the fact that you were my girlfriend. And he didn't even know you were the Queen at that time. -He was surprised that I was anyone's girlfriend, actually... I gave him my full name and all, stating my position in the police department, and I was.. _surprised_ that he didn't know who I was. Then I realized... being the Queen's boyfriend, I was thinking... does _anyone_ know about the two of us? Do you understand where I'm coming at?"

At that moment, Aelita's face turned a ghostly shade of white. Her hands were shaking with fear. Jeremie immediately regretted shooting the question, and he suddenly found himself desperate to make things better.

"A-Aelita, what's wrong?" he asked, creasing his eyebrows in concern. "I-is there something I can do?"

Aelita lifted her gaze, her eyes sparkling with fear. Her whole body was shaking at this point. "Y-you-" she muttered incoherently, pointing a finger at him. "Y-you're-"

Jeremie held her hands, rubbing soothing circles into her palms. Almost immediately, Aelita pulled away and walked to the corner of the room, grabbing her left arm with her right hand. She didn't know what to say. She was speechless. Once again, she couldn't face Jeremie no matter how hard she tried.

"Aelita..." Jeremie trailed off, walking towards her. "Aelita, tell me what's wrong.."

The pinkette turned slowly to meet his gaze, giving in. Jeremie was shocked to see her face in tears. "Jeremie.." she managed to choke out. "I was never meant to be with someone like you."

Jeremie was rendered speechless. "Wh-what?"

Aelita nodded, collapsing to the floor. "I was assigned to marry someone else, actually..."

"I don't know what you're trying to say, Aelita..." Jeremie was gratified by the fact that Aelita actually thought about _marrying_ him. Yes, the idea just seemed too early to be thought of, but neither of them could ever conceive the idea of being with someone else, ever. Those few words pierced his heart, and he could feel his chest constrict. Could someone else really be the _one _for Aelita_?_

The pinkette buried her face inside her hands, tears streaming from her eyes. "This is awful," she choked out between sobs. She raised her gaze to look at Jeremie hard in the eyes. "...Jeremie, we're breaking the law right now. You could be arrested f-for treason..."

Jeremie widened his eyes. "And.. what would happen to you?"

There was a pause. "Nothing will happen to me. It's just that.. you'll be thought of as a person committing sexual assault against the Queen."

Jeremie's heart pounded harder. Anger immediately built up inside him, but he managed to keep it down. He was too disheartened to be angry at her. He backed up against the wall, pressing his palms on it for support. Suddenly, it seemed like the room was spinning. "Why haven't you told me this before, Aelita?"

"I-it never came to my mind," she answered. Her voice echoed with truthfulness. "Your statement of our relationship becoming public immediately pulled me back into the consequences."

"Someone has to know about us," Jeremie stated. "Your guards, servants, or even maybe your groomers. Someone could've ratted us out already."

Aelita shook her head. That seemed to good to be true. "My staff love me too much. None of them would ever do that to me..."

He was becoming desperate. "D-do you know who you were predestined to marry?" Jeremie asked.

There was another long pause. "His name is Herve Pichon, a baker from Vezelay. My father found him the most desirable as my suitor, but I never loved him. Not as much as you." Even more tears streamed from Aelita's face as she said his name. She felt awful. "Jeremie... what are we going to do? I-I don't even know if he's still alive..."

The words cut into him like a knife. Slowly, Jeremie sat himself down on his bed.

He was in shock.

He had no idea what to do.

* * *

**Author's Note: This was exceptionally hard to write. I'm really sorry to everyone who is angered at the tension.. It seems like there's impending trouble for our warriors' love lives. **

**I feel that I haven't been producing chapters that have a high enough quality.. Am I slipping? I just haven't been satisfying myself lately. Hopefully, you guys will still review?**


	19. Caught Me

**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Hopefully, you'll all like it?**

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Chapter 18: Caught Me

"What do I have to do to make our relationship legal?"

Aelita pressed her fists against her chin. She probed through her mind for all the answers and dug deep into the memories of her parents. They always taught her about the law, considering she was next in line for the throne, so they have to had told her all about the ways of arranged marriage. Then, the answer came to her. "A duel," she answered quietly. "You have to challenge Herve to a duel."

Jeremie was taken aback. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow. He wasn't exactly the best at battle. Swallowing hard, he said, "So I have to _fight_ him and win to get a right as your suitor?"

Aelita nodded slowly, creasing her eyebrows. "Yes," she replied. "...But don't worry so much, Jeremie. He's only a baker."

Jeremie shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "I just don't like the idea of trying to hurt an innocent person."

Aelita slowly closed her eyes and placed a palm against her chest. She let a tear escape. "I'm so sorry, Jeremie," she apologized, despair dripping from those mere words. "If I hadn't been so attached to you during our time under the Queen of Spain, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess..."

"No..." Jeremie trailed off, taking a step towards her. He wiped the tear off her cheek. "How can you say that? It'll be worth it, I promise."

Aelita lifted her gaze. She was able to muster a weak smile, her eyes glossed over with tears. "You're wonderful, Jeremie," she said for what felt like the millionth time. "I just.. adore you."

Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, not caring that it was against the law.

* * *

Yumi walked over to the park. She needed time to clear her mind, to really contemplate her dilemma -both choices had equally upsetting consequences. As she took the dirt path leading to who knows where, she took time to close her eyes, look up to the sky, and breath in the forest air. The breeze graciously refreshed her thoughts, and she could just feel her mind clear for a few seconds. Her subconscious gradually drifted away from the Kinimods.

But she had to make a choice. That caused to open her eyes and sigh with exasperation. Should she stay or leave for Japan?

She began to think about staying. Pro: She would still work with everyone she loved. Con: Her relationship with Ulrich could grow and Brynga could begin to do God knows what.

Then there's Japan. Pro: She would sever ties with Ulrich, giving Brynga no choice but to leave everyone alone. Con: One member short for the Main Branch, and the whole Kinimod conspiracy would be harder to deal with considering the distance between them.

But there could always be replacements. And who knows, he or she could do good, right?

Yumi began to kick around the gray pebbles that lay motionless on the path. Sunlight was just barely able to filter through the canopy, and Yumi was thankful for that. She needed some connection to the world outside of the forest to keep herself from going crazy. She listened as the birds chirped.

But behind those sounds of nature, Yumi could barely distinguish the sound of splitting branches laying underneath. She knew only one person who would sulk here and do that. The last person she wanted to see right now was here.

Yumi took a few steps forward. She clenched her fists and spoke to the air, "I can only guess why you're here."

Behind her, she listened as the branches stopped cracking. Then, the sound of rustling grass followed as he got up to lean against the tree trunk. Ulrich stuffed his hands into his pockets as a heavy gale rustled their hair. He shrugged, and said, "Guess."

The hairs on her arm stood on end at the sound of his mere voice. Yumi tucked strands of hair behind her left ear and moved her gaze to the left, trying her best to not look at his face. "Is this about last night?" she asked, placing her hands inside the pockets of her skinny jeans.

"You guessed right," he said, sighing heavily. Hardening his gaze which was directed towards her back, he creased his eyebrows. "I'm confused, Yumi."

Yumi closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised. She was confused as well, but it was just that _she_ was the cause of _his_ confusion. She echoed his sigh and slumped her shoulders. She just didn't know what to say. Knowing that she could never tell him how she felt rendered her speechless. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She just stayed quiet.

Ulrich was right behind her at this point. "...I never got an answer from you, though," he whispered into her ear, causing Yumi to jump with surprise. She then straightened up and cringed inwardly at how warm he felt, even though he wasn't touching her. "I need to know, Yumi," he added.

Hesitantly, she turned and looked at him hard in the eye. "I already told you," she began coldly. "I can't tell you how I feel."

Ulrich dug deeper into her words. Last night, she told him that they couldn't go that far for reasons that couldn't be told. If she literally meant that she couldn't tell him how she felt, that meant that she _did_ have feelings for him. If she didn't, then what reason is there to keep things from him? It seemed like Yumi didn't realize what she was hinting at, though. "And why can't you tell me?" he asked. "You like me, don't you?"

There was a pause. Yumi instantly paled. "Ulrich..." she trailed off. "Don't."

"Yumi," he called, grabbing her arms. "I'm not going to listen to you. I know how you feel."

He caught her, right there, and she knew it. She didn't expect this. "I.. can't keep lying to you," she choked out, letting out a single tear. She closed her eyes, and looked down to the floor. She tried her best to take deep breaths, to calm her fast beating heart. There was no way out of this now. Looking up to the sky, she prayed for God's forgiveness and mercy.

"You're killing me," Ulrich whispered, urging her to look up by placing his hand under her chin. "Yumi...I want to hear you say it... Tell me you love me."

Yumi stayed speechless, a lump in her throat beginning to grow. Her eyes got bigger considerably, but her cheeks were flushed. Once again, she didn't know whether to feel scared or elated.

Ulrich swept the hair out of her face. He was determined. Taking a deep breath, he chose to take the initiative. He pulled himself close to her until their lips were mere inches apart. As usual, Yumi yearned for them to be on hers. It was like she could already feel it. "Yumi Ishiyama..." he began. "I am deeply and irrevocably in love with you. And I want you to feel the same way. Please tell me you love me."

Yumi took a deep breath, wishing that it didn't just lug in air, but his lips as well. She closed her eyes and gave in. She mustered a weak smile, more tears steaming down her cheeks. "Ulrich... I-I love you..." She then stopped crying, opened her eyes, and straightened up. More confidently, she declared, "Ulrich Stern, I really do."

Ulrich sighed.

_Finally._

It was as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He felt his lips upturn into large smile.

Never did he feel that this would happen in his life. He was attracted to her ever since he met her, and right now, it felt like he would never love her more than he did now. Yumi was precious to him. And she deserved to be loved.

Wordlessly, he pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

**Author's Note: MAN THAT WAS HARD TO WRITE! What'll happen next? I really like this chapter, guys. (: Feel free to review!**

**There will be a short hiatus after this chapter. It'll probably last until the end of the school year (I end school on the 29th) and probably further. So sorry about this, but I think I'll be mass updating a few chapters at a time after (hopefully that makes up for it). I find that this story can get unenjoyable when you guys wait for weeks at a time for a chapter with not much happening. So.. yeah. ((: Hopefully, you guys will forgive me? I love you guys!**


	20. Surpassed Limits

**Hey guys! I'm back! :) Okay, so I have three chapters coming up. I didn't get done everything I wanted to, so maybe a little longer for the next few chapters? I don't know. But, here you go. (:**

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Chapter 19: Surpassed Limits

Her heart felt like it was exploding in all directions. Her chest felt so constricted, it was almost like she almost couldn't breathe. Ulrich's lips were soft, warm, and had a unique taste she couldn't describe. They melded perfectly with hers, like they were a puzzle that was just put back together.

Ulrich's hands were cupping Yumi's face as he kissed her for what seemed like forever. His mind was blessedly clear, though it was still very fuzzy. He didn't know what to think. He was far beyond happy -there was no word that could even cover the expansive emotion he was feeling. He dug his fingers into Yumi's short hair, marveling at how soft it was.

He always dreamed of this. This moment with Yumi. Even touching her hair seemed so foreign to him, being part of his dream. He never thought that he would ever see the day where the girl he loved so much return his feelings.

Yumi, meanwhile, took advantage of the situation. She kissed him fervently, non-stop, because she knew that this could only happen so often. Her mind was too blocked by elation to even comprehend the rules she were breaking.

Screw Brynga. She was not going to let that Icelandic tell her what to do. Besides, up until now, it looked like she wasn't even remotely close to looking like she wanted to kill Yumi.. and her friends. She was just another girl who swooned over Ulrich, right?

..._Right_?

They pulled away after getting the signal that they were both running out of air. Ulrich grabbed Yumi's hands, and guided her as they both sat down under an oak. It was an awkward moment for them, but instead of feigning embarrassed laughs and goofy smiles, the two had other notions in their minds. Serious notions.

Yumi inhaled deep breaths. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy, like someone was watching the pair of them. It was like she had the feeling that Brynga could somehow watch their every move, because it would only make sense. After impetuously giving in to Ulrich's coercing, something is bound to happen. Her senses heightened, she shifted her gaze hesitantly from left to right, frantically scoping her surroundings.

All of a sudden, she heard the crunching of grass.

Yumi instantly sat up. She clenched her fists and creased her eyebrows, indignant at the fact that she could never relax.

Flashes of black moved before her eyes in an incomprehensible speed, and Yumi both wanted and not wanted it to be her imagination. If it _was_ her imagination, she was paranoid. If it was not, it was someone really spying on them.

Someone wearing black.

Yumi widened her eyes. She gasped, and quickly scooted back until her spine collided with the oak's trunk. Ulrich was instantly alarmed, seeing Yumi frightened, and gazed at her with wide eyes. Looking at her, beads of cold sweat were prominent upon her forehead and her breathing hitched. Her hair was disheveled, and her fingernails clutched onto the grass.

"Yumi..." he trailed off, giving her a look. "You okay?"

Yumi didn't have time to respond as she tried her best to follow the seemingly illusory movements. She raised her head as more flashes of black came about- she could've swore she saw them up in the trees. They just moved so fast, like highly trained assassins, ready to take out their opponents at any given notice... Just like a familiar enemy.

The Kinimods. She just knew it. Yumi shook her head to clear it, but opening her eyes again, she still saw them moving. Her heart beat at a faster rate, and she tried to open her mouth to let Ulrich know, but as usual, nothing came out. She didn't want to be labeled as crazy, because chances were, they would disappear as soon as Ulrich searched for them as well. Her jaw just laid limp, like she couldn't control it. Incoherent noises threatened to rise out of her throat.

Yumi turned and placed her forehead against the oak's trunk. She moaned loudly and banged her fists against the gnarled bark. She could feel tears beginning to form again inside her eyes as she let out her frustration, but she refused to let them out, refused to show weakness.

Ulrich was torn. He didn't know what was happening, but he could tell what was coming. He sighed heavily, shook his head, and buried his face in his hands. Then, digging his fingers into his hair, he screamed.

Yumi turned to look at him, the edges of her eyes dappled with tears. Her hair was a mess, and her fingernails were now dirty after scraping them into the bark. "U-Ulrich," she choked out, her voice quivering. "I'm sorry-"

"Damn it, Yumi," he said in a soft voice, a hidden edge of abrasiveness within it. "DAMN IT, YUMI!" he then screamed.

She clenched her fists, and looked at him hard in the eyes. Her tears were streaming at full speed now, but she didn't notice it or feel it. "Ulrich, if only you'd understand-" she began.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" he choked out, his voice now obstructed by a lump in his throat. He didn't care about the fact that she was crying, even if he was the cause of it. He knew she deserved it, after playing so much with his emotions. He slammed his fist against the tree trunk, some leaves fluttering to the floor around their feet.

Yumi clenched her teeth and spoke through them. "But what the hell was I supposed to do?!" she yelled, standing up and crossing her arms. "If only you'd listen to me when I said we couldn't go this far, we wouldn't be in this freakin' mess!"

"That's just it!" he screeched. "What the hell is it that you can't tell me?"

Yumi dug her fingernails into her palms until they began to draw blood. She knew her next answer, and she was tired of saying it. "I can't tell you, Ulrich," she breathed out, shifting her gaze from him. If only he knew how mutual the hurt was, maybe he'd _understand_.

"Why not?" he said in a calmer tone, though anyone could tell it was on the verge of bursting again. His lips quivered. "Whatever it is that's going to hurt you will have to go through me first. I thought you trusted me with your life. Nothing's going to try and hurt you."

"More like trying to hurt all of us," she murmured back.

Ulrich rose an eyebrow. "What. The. Hell," he breathed out. "You're keeping information about the enemy from the rest of us, aren't you?"

Yumi shook her head and shot him a hurtful look that pierced through his defenses and penetrated his gut. That was when Ulrich realized that the accusation was highly upsetting _and_ offensive. "...Forget I said that," she answered after a few moments of oppressive silence.

Yumi began to amble down the path behind her, but not without a few words that cut into Ulrich once again. Turning around to look at him, her face was poignant. "I never want to see you again, Ulrich," she said. "I'm sorry."

And like that, she left, leaving Ulrich to choke in his now flowing tears.

Like Yumi, he had a limit as well. There was only so much he could take.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, like I usually say, did you like it? I still got two more chapters to post up today, so, look out for them! :)**


	21. Rules of the Duel

Chapter 20: The Rules of the Duel

Aelita lay in her bed lost in her thoughts. There was nothing that could calm her. Her heart beat hard, her hands were cold and sweaty. She wrung her fingers as she gazed blankly at the ceiling.

There was reason for her concern.

-Three Hours Ago At The Schaeffer Castle-

Aelita burst through her castle's double doors, her castle guard, Mick, trailing behind her. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyebrows were creased. A frown was prominent upon her lips as she stomped towards the spiral staircase, not giving care to her subject's distress.

"Your majesty, if you'd just under-"

Aelita clutched onto the banister and whipped her head around. She narrowed her eyes at him, sending chills down his spine. She crossed her arms in annoyance. Throwing them up in exasperation, she spat venomously, "Why didn't you tell me?!" -Her knuckles turned white as she dug her nails into the impeccable polished oak- "Why didn't you ever tell me that I was breaking the law?!"

"Aelita, you were so happy-"

"Don't call me that!" she spat, her face receding into a light shade of red. "Address me as your Queen! You lost that right a long time ago."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He straightened his posture. "Your majesty," he said, directing her a curt bow. Aelita crossed her arms and nodded her approval. "We favored your happiness over your turmoil. After your parents' deaths, we wanted you to eventually heal from emotional distress. That Belpois boy, God, was he a lucky occurrence. He made you so cheerful..."

"Yes, true." Aelita nodded, trying best to keep down her voice. "I'm thankful." She then took a deep breath as her voice reached a slight crescendo. "But now Jeremie has to duel an innocent man, something that goes against his better judgement. He is currently the head of the police department, and this will surely degrade his honor. He's only doing this for me... And what if the government discovered our relationship? They will surely send Jeremie to execution!"

Mick directed his gaze to the floor, embarrassed. "We've never thought about the long-term effects..."

Aelita sighed and placed the back of her hand atop her forehead. "I'm suddenly feeling faint," she said. "Just arrange a duel, will you?"

She began to walk up the stairs as Mick continued to trail behind. Pulling out a pen and notepad, he answered, "Yes, of course, your majesty. Would you like to be known of the rules?"

"Yes, of course," she answered. "Before I break any more laws."

Mick sighed once again as they paused their walk towards Aelita's room. He sauntered towards a glass display case that held the thick law book and received it. Aelita waited, tapping her foot against the carpet as Mick flipped through the yellowed, worn out pages. "There are a few rules," Mick began. "Mr. Belpois, being the challenger, will have to choose between fight to the first wound, fight until the death, or fight until his satisfaction. But when it comes to settling a dispute like this, he cannot choose to fight until his satisfaction. There needs to be a winner."

Aelita looked up towards the ceiling. She pursed her lips. "I guess he will choose to fight to the first wound," she said. "He will never kill."

Mick nodded in approval. He turned to the next page. "The duel will consist of sword fighting, though there _are_ alternatives."

"What are they?" she asked.

"Projectiles," he answered. "First to hit three targets precisely with a bow and arrow is the victor."

"And another?"

Mick swallowed hard. "Pistols," he choked out. "First to puncture the other is the victor."

Aelita paled and shook her head. "Pistols are out of the question," she said. "Jeremie will do sword fighting." He wasn't experienced in swords, but there was Ulrich. Plus, daggers were what he was comfortable with. Swords couldn't be so different, would they?

"Okay," Mick answered. He turned to the next page. His face instantly drained of color, immediately alarming the Queen. She uncrossed her arms in frightened expectation. "My majesty..." he trailed off, lowering the book to meet her gaze. Her expression was still unhappy. "I'll be the unfortunate one to say... that our castle and the government are required to give Herve full support. We are required to give him our best trainers, our best resources. Anything to make certain that he will not suffer defeat..."

Aelita paled and widened her emerald eyes. "_What_?" she said in utter shock, her voice quivering. Her heart skipped a beat by those mere words. If Jeremie lost, then what will become of her life? She'll have no more connection with any of Eurasia's army, having vowed to rule with Herve, and no one else. "Wh-hy-"

"He currently has the right to be your suitor," Mick answered, straightening his posture to give out a stoic demeanor. It hurts him to say it, but that's what the rule abided. He loved Aelita, really, but he didn't want to disobey Francis either. "It'll only make sense," he then added. His hands were tied.

"But you don't _desire_ to, do you?" she asked. She was desperate, and her lips wouldn't stop trembling. Tears burned the back of her eyes.

"Of course," Mick answered quietly, softening his gaze. His voice rose again. "But with the government-"

Aelita clenched her fists. "Well.. screw the government!" she bursted, using a phrase she sometimes heard Odd, Ulrich, or Yumi use. She knew she was sounding immature, but she just couldn't take it. The duel sounded so unjust. Didn't the Queen have a say? Mick flinched a bit, the words sounding so foreign out of her mouth. Aelita lowered her gaze in shame. "I don't want to marry Herve, Mick," she then said, softening her voice.

Tears began to stream down her face. Aelita turned away, not wanting to look so weak. Scrunching his eyebrows, Mick walked up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't lose all faith yet, my Queen," he said. "I've seen what your friends can do. They are enormously talented in terms of battle."

Aelita lifted her gaze and mustered a weak smile. Mick wiped the tear off his cheek. "Promise me you'll try your best to resist," she squeaked out.

"Of course," he answered. "Under Queen's orders."

"Thank you, Mick."

Reminiscing back to that was painful for Aelita. The thought of life without Jeremie seemed so incomprehensible. She barely knew Herve. Why should she marry him instead?

She knew that it was royal tradition. She had to marry whoever was assigned to her. Her mother and father didn't know each other as well when they got married, but it was different... Neither of them had someone else they wanted to marry, and lucky enough for them, they found love after their marriage.

Aelita already found love. With someone else. And she didn't want to leave him after all he had done for her. Jeremie... he was special, someone she didn't want to let go. He was her protector, her guardian, and her connection to the world outside of royalty.

And Herve... well, he was like another egotistical prince. She remembered the first time she met him, and it did not end well. He figured that since he had right to marry her, he could do anything he wanted with her. Aelita found him too touchy, and felt violated whenever she was around him. She wasn't comfortable.

Aelita's cellphone buzzed. She peeked at the caller I.D. "Jeremie," she whispered, bringing the phone up to her ear. She didn't want to talk to him, much less act like everything was okay. "Hello?"

"Aelita?" Jeremie's voice called. "How did things go with the duel?"

She felt a pang of pain vibrate throughout her chest. That's what she was afraid of. "Um.. things are fine," she squeaked out.

On the other side of the line, Jeremie narrowed his eyes. He detected a little falsity in that voice. "Are you sure?" he asked. "When is it?"

"Well," Aelita began, "The duel is in a few weeks."

"That's great, isn't it?" he asked. "We can settle this soon. We just have to lay low-"

"Jeremie." Aelita sighed. "That's not the problem."

Jeremie took off his glasses and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't like the tone of voice she was using. It was darker than how she usually talked. "Well, then, what is it?" he asked.

"You have to fight until the first wound," Aelita choked out. She swallowed hard. "With swords, you and Herve are to battle with the goal of wounding each other."

Jeremie's eyes reasonably increased in size. He always knew that this was going to happen, but to have his suspicions confirmed was a whole other thing. He swallowed hard as well to try and get rid of the bile rising in his throat. "So I have to try and... _slice up _an innocent person?" He pulled on the collar of his turtleneck, suddenly getting nervous. There was a pause, as if he was sifting through his thoughts. "I- I'll do it Aelita," Jeremie sighed in defeat.

"J-Jeremie," her voice quivered. Her eyes were on the verge of tears, knowing that even though it seemed like a mouth full, that wasn't the worst of it. "Th-the ruling parties, both royal and the government, will also be supporting Herve," she mentioned. "Th-they will absolutely make sure that he will not suffer defeat."

Jeremie got up from his chair and began to amble towards his bed, his legs threatening to collapse under him. "Wh-what?" he asked as if he didn't hear it right. "_What?_"

"You heard me," Aelita answered, swallowing the urge to lash out on him. She dug her fingers into her hair. "What are we going to do?"

"Ulrich will train me," Jeremie answered. "I'll begin to rebalance his schedule between teaching Brynga, me, and the rest of the warriors."

"But what if it's not enough?" Aelita asked, a lump rising in her throat. "What if you... _lost?_ I can't imagine losing you, Jeremie..."

Suddenly, Jeremie felt the strong urge to be by her side, to hold her. "No one's losing anyone," Jeremie said, shaking his head. "Everything will be okay. I pro-"

On the other side of the line, cutting off Jeremie, Aelita heard a crash and the slamming of doors. She listened as Jeremie sat up and called out. "Who's there?" he asked. There was a mumble. "What?" she heard Jeremie's muffled voice say. "Emily?"

"Jeremie?" Aelita called, still listening as he yelled in hushed tones. "Jeremie, what's wrong?"

Then, she heard Yumi. "Jeremie.. leaving.. Japan," she could barely make out.

"What?" Jeremie called. "After all this?!"

"That's.. final answer, okay?" Yumi said. Then, there was a door closing.

Aelita narrowed her eyes. She clenched her fists. "Jeremie, what was that?" she asked with a hint of caution.

"Emily just got kidnapped," Jeremie choked out. "And Yumi's leaving for Japan."


	22. Memories at Home

**Hey guys! We are officially at a benchmark! What is it, you ask? From now on, there is 100% new material -stuff that didn't happen yet in the previous version! Yay! Hope you all like it! :)**

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Chapter 21: Memories at Home

Yumi's feet met with the firm concrete. The nostalgic feel of Japan immediately hit her with a wave of smells, sounds, and sights. The honking of cars, the towering buildings, and the blinking signs reminded her of her life before King Dominik, before her enlistment in Eurasia's Army. Like she expected, life in Japan didn't become a standstill when she left. It continued without her. Kyoto was just the same.

Strangely, with that thought in mind, she felt loneliness begin to assail her thoughts.

She trudged through the streets with her hands in her pockets as snippets of her native language entered her ears. She closed her eyes to clear her mind. No thoughts of Brynga, the Kinimods, or even Ulrich resided in her head for her to think about. She was thankful for that.

A honk from a car, and Yumi's eyes shot open. What she was met with was something she never expected. It was an alley, same as all the other ones, except Yumi could recognize the graffiti. She stopped her walk, suddenly having the feeling of bile rising in her throat. She swallowed.

Her head flashed with colors, obstructing her sights. She could feel snippets of her past trauma rising again in her mind. Pain flashed throughout her head, causing Yumi to collapse against the alley's wall. Her duffle fell off her shoulder. Her legs giving out beneath her, Yumi finally hit the floor with a deafening thud, her knees meeting with it first in shocks of unbearable discomfort.

Her mind blurred with colors before focusing into a different picture.

-flashback-

It is May 26th, 2295, 8:30 a.m. It was a sunny day, far too uplifting for the wretchedness Yumi felt inside of her. In front of her lay the corpse of the very child whom she swore to protect, whom she was responsible for -her little brother, Hiroki Ishiyama. His eyes were closed peacefully, but his body said otherwise. His ribs and pelvis protruded from his shirt, highly distinguishable after weeks of unbearable hunger. It was because of lack of food that he was dead.

Tears were on the verge of breakthrough as she gaze intently on the unmoving body. She couldn't believe he was dead. Every few minutes, Yumi could've swore she caught the jerk of a limb, the subtle rise of his chest, or even the mere flutter of an eyelid. Anything that would contradict what seemed true right now would've assured her that he wasn't dead.

But no. She was just imagining things. The cold, hard truth lay there right in front of her. Minutes ticked into hours as she gazed blankly, unsure sure of what to do. She was frozen on the spot, her mind struggling to wrap around reality. Her eyebrows were creased in concentration, and her bony white fists were clenched tightly. She wanted to vent out her anger, but she kept it all in. There was nothing she could do.

Hiroki was fine yesterday -well, aside from his constant whines of stomach pain. They lived off of nothing but unclean water which was barely able to even make a dent in their hunger, unfortunately. A lot of stores in Japan didn't want to provide for her without the money that would support it. Yumi didn't have the money to provide. In other words, Yumi wasn't responsible enough to keep him full. She was the reason for his death. She had no one to blame but herself.

The thoughts burned their way into Yumi's head, finally triggering the first tear. She pulled at her hair and whined, only to bring upon another flood of teardrops. "H-Hiroki," she quivered, trying her best to stiffen her jaw. "H-Hiroki, p-please w-ak-ke up!" She gently nudged on his shoulders, eventually building up the force to bring about full-on shoves. She scrunched her eyebrows in anger as she screamed once again. "Wake up!"

Yumi widened her eyes and angrily wiped away tears. Her eyes glinted with moisture as she settled to staring once again.

"He's not waking up," the voice in her mind echoed.

Yumi let herself sob, pressing the edges of her palms against her eyes to try and force back the tears. Her sniffs were uncontrollable as she let out the emotions she was feeling for the past few weeks; her parents' deaths, Dominik's men breaking into her home, and now her brother's death -she could only stay stoic for so long until it went into overload.

Loneliness engulfed Yumi when she realized that she really was alone. Her parents dead, her only sibling dead -she was the only one alive now.

Loneliness. That feeling became a constant companion of Yumi's. As she sobbed, she didn't notice the black and red void forming behind her, revealing to let out a boy about a year younger than her, about sixteen, with chocolate brown hair. He was dressed in a traditional black tunic, paired with white slacks. It was Ulrich.

Watching Yumi cry, a feeling of compassion for her instantly bloomed inside him. He approached cautiously, holding his palms out in case she would lash out on him. "Hey," he said slowly, tentatively, his voice reaching a slight crescendo. "Are you.. Yumi Ishiyama?"

Yumi instantly straightened her posture at his mere voice. She was slightly alarmed. Her mind raced through all the possibilities of this man that spoke, the adrenaline beginning to course through her veins. She didn't dare turn towards him. Was he a rapist? Kidnapper? Murderer? Theif? There was a slight pause, and she didn't answer for a second. Ulrich thought he was in the clear...That is, until Yumi cried out.

"Yahh!" she shrieked, turning to deliver a sweeping punch in Ulrich's direction. Unfortunately for her, though, Ulrich caught her fist inside his right hand and instantly spun her wrist. She yelped in slight pain and continued to resist. "Let- go- of- me!" she grunted, trying her best to pull away.

Ulrich ripped his eyes from her penetrating gaze, slightly dazed by her simplistic beauty.. and her unexpected strength. He instantly knew why the Queen chose her as a recruit to be ranked in the same group as him. She was enormously talented in terms of defense. "I'm not here to hurt you," Ulrich stated with a firm voice, though still not looking into her eyes. "I'm sending you a message from the Queen of Spain."

"I don't care!" she shrieked, sending her other fist towards his face. Ulrich caught that one as well. "Why should I trust _you_?!" She creased her eyebrows in anger, fear of him instantly dissipating. She was more so annoyed by him. She once again tried to force away her fists. She then screamed, finding out that Ulrich was much stronger than her.

Ulrich let go of her fists and spun around her, securing a hand over her mouth and the other around her chest. This also restrained her arms. Yumi squirmed frantically in his grasp as he pulled both of them down in a sitting position, now scared that he really was going to do something bad. "Shhh," he hissed into her ear through clenched teeth. "Shut. Up."

Yumi shivered as his breath danced across her earlobe, finally relaxing inside his grasp. Exhaustion overtook her; she was tired of fighting, tired of all ...-this. She muttered some words of what Ulrich interpreted as words of obeying, muffled under his restraining hand. He nodded. Ulrich instantly let go, finding reason to trust her, and backed away, holding his hands up in defense.

"Thank you," Ulrich said, digging into his pocket to find that certain letter. Pulling out the card stock, he held it out in Yumi's direction, scared to take another step towards her. "Here. Read this."

Yumi looked at him with eyes glazed in caution. There was another long pause. She reached out hesitantly and wrenched the letter from his grasp, leaving them empty and almost giving him a few paper cuts. Ulrich watched attentively as Yumi's eyes scanned over the letter. He was surprised when a look of understanding settled upon her face. That letter was in Spanish, a language he didn't understand. He was also speaking to her in French, a language she seemed to understand as well. The Queen was right when she said that Yumi was able to understand many different languages, having to travel so much with her father for sake of his job as a business man. He smiled when Yumi nodded. "Yes..." she answered in fluent French. "I'm the one you're looking for."

"Cool," he answered. "So you're up for it? You wanna be in the movement against King Dominik?"

Yumi sniffed. Ulrich forgot she was crying. She nodded solemnly. "Yes," she answered quietly. Ulrich didn't know that she was going to answer that quickly. "But I want to figure out about what I want to do with my brother's corpse, first."

That statement ultimately sent chills down Ulrich's spine. He widened his eyes, surprised at how blunt the girl was. Trauma got her good. "Wh-what?" he asked, frighteningly stepping back.

Surprisingly, his foot connected with a solid object. He shifted his gaze to the floor. What he found caused his face to drain of all color; at his feet was the dead body of a young boy with features that resembled Yumi. The same jet black hair, the same nose, the same almond eyes- he had it all. "Oh my God," Ulrich breathed out with shock. "What happened?"

Yumi clenched her fists as her facial expression contorted into that of anger. "King Dominik is what happened," she answered. "He killed my parents and we ran away. Hiroki died of starvation."

Ulrich was rendered speechless. He didn't know what to say. Words of comfort? Words of sympathy? "Are you...?" Ulrich trailed off.

Yumi wiped away more tears. She nodded slowly. "Yeah," she answered quietly. "I want to purchase some flowers and digging materials for his burial, but.." She looked down to the floor. More tears streamed down her face. "I can't."

Ulrich took a few steps towards her, unsure of what to do. He had money, but he didn't really want to intrude with Yumi's personal matters. Surprisingly, the girl broke into another string of sobs, and eventually collapsed against his chest. He impulsively wrapped his arms around her and began to absentmindedly stroke her hair. "Hey," he whispered. "I have a few euros. I can help you... Do you trust me?"

Yumi lifted her gaze. Her face held that expression of seriousness. She creased her eyebrows, still unsure. "You can start by telling me your name..?" she uttered out, raising her eyebrows.

"It's Ulrich Stern," he answered, a smile growing on his face.

Yumi mustered a weak smile. She didn't know why, but she automatically felt the feeling of protection engulf her when she was in his arms... And knowing his name, a bond of trust wordlessly flourished between them. It was comforting. Like she wasn't so alone anymore. "Well, Ulrich," she began, her tears instantly going away. "I trust you... I guess."

He rose an eyebrow.

-end of flashback-

Yumi opened her eyes. Her head palpitated with discomfort, and she automatically clutched it. Sitting up, she found that she was collapsed on the floor, her duffle not so far behind her. A feeling of relief bloomed within her when she found that no one stole from her.

Yumi got up. She shook her head. She realized that she made a bad choice when she chose to take a stroll within the streets of Japan instead of transporting straight to the temple of Eurasia's Army's headquarters. Now Ulrich was all she thought about. Feelings of betrayal, heartbreak, and sadness from both the situation of Hiroki and Ulrich rose inside her head. She couldn't think straight now that the remnants of her past trauma were working to exit her mind once again. She trudged through the streets without the slightest shred of thought.

Not far along the road, Yumi spotted the cemetery. The gravestones were eerie, immaculate, but were almost whitewashed from years of weathering. She absentmindedly entered through the gates, knowing full well of its consequences. Like she expected, her head flashed with images which synthesized into a blob of indistinguishable colors once again. She yelped in pain and fell onto the grass, growing unconscious.

-flashback-

It is May 26th, 2295, 12:00 p.m. Noon. Hours before, Yumi stayed to watch Hiroki's body as Ulrich left the alley to buy some flowers and shovels.

"You ready?" Ulrich asked.

Yumi smiled. "Yeah," she answered. "Let's go."

(at the cemetery 12:30 p.m.)

Yumi gingerly placed the beautiful flowers upon the mound of dirt she and Ulrich dug. She gazed at it with a hardened gaze once again, knowing that this was it. No tombstone, no cremation. No fancy Japanese funeral. Her heart broke at the fact that she once again couldn't provide. She slowly muttered some prayers in Japanese with her hands clasped together and got up. Ulrich was standing behind her, watching the whole time.

"You okay?" he asked once again.

Yumi nodded. She creased her eyebrows and turned to meet his gaze. She clenched her fists. "I'm going to fight King Dominik," she declared proudly. "For my parents. And for my little brother, especially. He needs to be dealt with."

"Good," Ulrich nodded his head in approval, sending her a smile of support. "Me and the others will be with you."

"Thank you so much, Ulrich," Yumi spoke, wiping away a small tear. "I know I can trust you now. I'm sure."

Little did they know about the hardships that would ensue, and that they would go through it all.. together.

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**Author's Note: Well, there you go! Like it? Hate it? Feel free to review, guys! Love you all. ((:**


	23. Preparation

**Hey guys! I'm so so sorry for the wait! I was trying my best to edit everything, and I was experiencing severe writer's block. This and the next chapter are going to be intros to the next line of action parts in this story. Hopefully, you will find this to be enjoyable! :)**

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Chapter 22: Preparation

Jeremie kept on checking his watch. He and the others were waiting patiently out in the courtyard to greet Herve when he arrived for preparation of the duel. For the whole day, he was nothing but bitter- he was now at a big chance of losing his girlfriend, the most amazing girl he had ever met. And just a few days ago, he found out that there was another guy.

What made it even worse was that now, Herve was supposed to arrive half an hour ago, and it was _his_ fault that he was sweating like a pig right now. The sun was just sweltering, inducing his sweating glands to proliferate their duties.

Eventually, a gorgeous and ornate carriage came strolling into the courtyard, literally blowing away Ulrich and Odd; they both stared with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Aelita wasn't impressed at all, being fairly accustomed to this mode of transportation, and Jeremie just readjusted his glasses and gazed bitterly at the posh vehicle. He checked his watch again and frowned at the time. He was thirty-six minutes late.

Following the carriage was the whole news media, the flashing of cameras bringing dark spots sputtering around all their eyes. Jeremie stumbled back as they bombarded his fragile body with cameras, microphones, and questions- he almost fell to the floor in shock. He groaned and screamed just a little as he tried his best to shield himself; it was all just too much.

Odd and Ulrich watched blankly as Jeremie was assaulted. They were highly surprised by the popularity he was receiving because of just one duel. A business-like woman in a trench coat shoved a microphone into Jeremie's face, and in response, he flinched away and held his hands up in utter defense. "How does it feel to be in the spotlight, kid?" she asked in her husky-like voice, not giving care to Jeremie's uncomfortableness. "You went from a small town boy in France to a guy now battling for the Queen's heart! Just emerging fan clubs are now supporting you as well!"

Jeremie rose an eyebrow, completely thrown off by that last statement. "What?" he asked.

She pointed to her right. Jeremie followed her gaze to find a whole group of girls screaming and shouting his name in unison, some of them even holding up and waving around a few signs. Pictures of him and Aelita were glued on some of them and underneath was written 'Jerlita' in curly letters -their assumed couple pet name, he guessed. Jeremie widened his eyes in surprise and began to blush slightly as some of them began motioning hearts as well. Then, his eyebrows began to twitch. Shifting his gaze back towards the reporter, he found she was gazing at him expectantly. He totally forgot about the question.

Jeremie rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, feigning a few laughs. "Well.." he trailed off, shutting his eyes in embarrassment. "I uh- gah!"

Before he knew it, an elderly lady wrapped her bony fingers around Jeremie's wrist and pulled him into the castle, out of the reporter's sights. She frowned and threw her mic on the floor, utterly frustrated that she didn't even get to receive even one bit of insight from the challenger of the duel.

Odd turned to look at Ulrich, a goofy smile upon his face. "Wow, man, I didn't know that Jeremie was so popular with the ladies!" he exclaimed.

Ulrich turned to look away from Odd- he was scanning the area for a certain dark-haired beauty that he wanted desperately to talk to. He got worried when he couldn't find her- all that was left were the remains of Jeremie's fan club. They didn't even get the chance to see Herve, what with all the reporters that were hanging around.

"Hey Odd," Ulrich began impassively, "where's Yumi?"

Ulrich didn't notice, but Odd's eyes gradually enlarged in size. He didn't want to be the one to answer that, and Ulrich seemed dead serious. Odd slowly shifted his gaze to look at his best friend. Heavily contemplating, he ran his fingers through his gelled hair. "Well..." he trailed off, trying to find a way to put it nicely. Unfortunately, there wasn't. "She kind of... left for Japan."

Ulrich's heart stopped, not prepared for the shock he was going through. He knew how hard it must've been for Yumi. He knew of the trauma that she left behind when she arrived at Eurasia's Army, and instantly, he felt concern for her overtake him. "What?" he breathed out, clenching his fists. "She's _where_?"

"You heard me, didn't you?" Odd answered, not wanting to repeat it because of how hard it was to say goodbye. His eyes began to water in symbolism of his utter sadness and confusion. "She left..."

"I'm going to get her," Ulrich abruptly declared. "She can't leave like this."

"Oh, no you don't," Odd fired back, using his arm to restrain Ulrich from walking any further. "Jeremie tried his best to accommodate to her needs- he found a replacement and everything. I don't think he would like something else screwing him up, what with the duel and all."

Ulrich groaned and crossed his arms. "This is all my fault," he admitted. "Who's replacing her?"

There was silence. Odd was gonna ask Ulrich about the whole Yumi situation, but someone was there to interrupt. "I'm replacing her," uttered a calm voice.

Ulrich and Odd turned to find Brynga looking at them impassively, silently, as her golden locks of hair blew in the breeze. She was clothed in a simple white dress that went down to her knees, giving her a simplistic beauty with a feather-like demeanor. Her hands clasped together behind her, she walked up to Ulrich, who, ultimately, turned away in betrayal. She slightly frowned and quietly apologized. "I'm sorry about Yumi," she said. Her words echoed with true sympathy, leaving her mouth with an unusual taste. She then placed a compassionate hand atop Ulrich's left shoulder. "C'mon. We have to get back to headquarters. It's going to rain."

And, like Brynga said, the clouds poured down their tears which reflected the depressing demeanor that blanketed the area.

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"We need to get your measurements for your dueling ensemble," the elderly woman said, literally dragging Jeremie up the numerous staircases of the castle. "Then, you will be instructed to and how to bathe."

Jeremie rose an eyebrow. _How _to bathe? Was there seriously a certain way to cleanse oneself around here? He wasn't impressed, more so amused by their meticulosity. Wordlessly, he nodded in response.

Jeremie was led to a room draped with transparent white cloth and multiple mirrors scattered strategically around the room. Tailoring men with measuring tape slung around their shoulders measured articles of clothing which were worn by mannequins, as if to make sure that the person who was really going to wear it was actually going to fit into it. They weren't even actual mannequins- they were more like human shaped twigs.

How were people able to fit themselves into those clothes? They looked highly uncomfortable, and even with someone as thin as Aelita, he or she was still not going to slip comfortably into it.

A man with a buzz cut and goatee walked up to Jeremie with his hands clasped together in expectation. He had a warm, welcoming smile on his face. His outfit consisted of a black fedora, white oxford shirt, black scarf, and slacks. "Ah, Jeremie Belpois," he greeted with a thick Italian accent. "Welcome, welcome." He placed his hand on Jeremie's left shoulder blade and led him to an elevated circular platform.

As the woman left, the designer gave Jeremie a look. "What?" he asked.

He continued to gaze at Jeremie intently, his eyebrows creased. "I like you," he complimented. "You seem like a much better suitor for Miss Aelita rather than that prick Herve. Too bad we have to support him instead." The designer tapped his finger against his chin in deep contemplation. "I have a few outfit choices for you to wear during the Sedition."

Jeremie rose an eyebrow. _Sedition?_ He quickly recited the definition in his mind: Sedition. Noun. Conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state of monarch. "Sedition?" he asked. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"It's the conference that will be taking place tomorrow," the man simply answered. "You will have to recite a speech which consists of why you object Herve as Aelita's suitor and why you would be a much better candidate. This will be broadcasted on every television in the continent."

Jeremie clenched his fists. "And someone could've told me this sooner?!" he asked indignantly. "I'm not trying to overthrow the government- or Aelita, for that matter."

He held his hands up in defense. "Our government is just conceited in that way. Any difference in usual conduct is considered as rebelling against the government. Now, onto more serious matters." He clapped his hands, and the other designers immediately pushed three mannequins into Jeremie's sights.

"This first one-" The designer motioned to a mannequin wearing a white oxford shirt and black tie. Over it was a dark blue knit jacket with a dipping v-neck. This was paired with black slacks and sneakers. "-is very casual, yet sophisticated at the same time. I feel that this will show the government that you don't feel the urge to dress so expensively to impress. Instead, you will look as if you were more interested in things of the mind and spirit -such as world peace, and all that fun stuff. A great quality."

Jeremie impassively nodded. Was this really something he should be worrying about? He needed to write a freaking speech right now! He's wasting his time. "Um, sir, I think that any one would-"

The designer held his hand up to silence him. Jeremie wordlessly complied. "This second one-" he then gestured to a mannequin in a blue button down blazer, black undershirt, white slacks, and black dress shoes. "-is very classy, polished. Stiff, but will make you look _just_ irresistible. Expensive. Everything a typical mercenary will like in a guy."

"But Aelita's not a mercenary-"

"Shush." He held his hands up once again to silence Jeremie. The blonde frowned and crossed his arms. "I know she's not a mercenary," he continued. "Liking you when she is the most wealthy woman on the planet makes her the least mercenary person I know."

Jeremie's frown enlarged. "Third outfit, if you will," he requested. Then, stuffing his hands into his pockets, he muttered, "This is utterly pointless."

"My pleasure!" the designer gushed. He motioned to the third on on the far right. It was clothed in a blue fedora, blue button down shirt, black bermuda shorts, and a black scarf. "This one is my favorite. The best of them all!" Jeremie directed his gaze towards the designer and found him to be wearing a similar outfit. "Very fun, an eye-popper..."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the castle's corridors, Aelita followed as Herve was escorted to his own bathroom. Her arms were crossed, and she tried with all her might to keep herself from striking his cheek from his constant babbling. She was unhappy, and didn't want to deal with this.

"Aelita, my Queen, it has been a long time," Herve said. He grabbed her hand. "I thought something happened with King Dominik."

Aelita pulled away and frowned. "You don't love me, and I don't love you," she quietly whispered, walking ahead of him. "Why are you doing this?" She then paused her walk and tapped her foot against the floor, waiting impatiently for his answer. "I don't get it."

"Well, to please your father, of course," he answered, a little hurt. He frowned and placed a hand on her cheek. Aelita shifted her gaze to the floor. "You're beautiful, Aelita. I'm sure we'll find love somewhere along the way."

"Is that all that matters?" Aelita said quietly, clenching her fists. She looked up, and there were slight tears in her eyes. "I love someone else, Herve."

"...You know very well that that's not legal of you," he answered, shaking his head.

Aelita crossed her arms once again. She frowned and fired back, "Yes, and that's what the duel is for..."

There was a pause. Herve was rendered speechless as he creased his eyebrows and began to flex his hands. He tried to his best to calm himself down, but he knew very well that that wasn't possible, for he was very prone to a short temper. Before Aelita knew it, a loud smack resounded across the room, and she was falling backwards. A stinging sensation pulsed across her cheek.

Aelita tripped over her long gown. Her castle guards immediately came back to attention and rushed to her aid. Before the fragile pinkette could hit the floor, they supported her arms and helped her up. She shook them off and clenched her fists, wanting now to _kill_ Herve.

"How _dare_ you!" she screamed, her green eyes flashing with patronization. She began to advance on Herve slowly. "You-you bottle-ale rascal!"

Hushes resounded across the room as all eyes went over to Aelita, surprised that she still had the determination to talk like that. She never spoke like a proper Medival lady ever since the time of King Dominik, and, why, this was an abrupt relapse into it. Aelita's eyes glinted with even more tears as Herve stared at her with shock. He didn't know what to say.

Then, he instantly straightened up and inhaled a deep breath. "That Belpois boy is not worthy of you," he suddenly retorted.

"Not _worthy_?" Aelita retorted, using a threatening tone. She scoffed and advanced even more. "Y-you're just a baker, overcharging our citizens for stale bread, and Jeremie's the head of the organization that saved the whole continent from that tyrant Dominik! ...Now, that sounds worthy to me."

Herve rose an eyebrow. "Y-you mean-"

"Yes," Aelita said quietly. "I'm talking about Eurasia's Army."

Herve seemed to turn a thousand shades whiter. He then turned to look at the rest of Aelita's subjects, who only stayed quiet in silent agreement to Aelita's statement.

He straightened his posture. "I'm going to bathe now," he finally declared.

And like that, he entered the bathroom without another word, leaving Aelita to fume over his pomposity.

* * *

**Author's Note: Next chapter will be up today as well! Check it out! :)**


	24. Stepping Stones

**Hey guys! Second chapter for the day! We're in Japan now. Yay! :)**

* * *

Chapter 23: Stepping Stones

The Japanese headquarters of Eurasia's Army was a temple. Literally. The color scheme was mainly red and white with an emerald green roof. The roof took up nearly half of the height of the entire building, gently sloping with far extending eaves. It gave an overall dimness to the interior, contributing to its serious and downcast demeanor. A lake of pristine waters surrounded the whole building, cutting off the little island from the rest of the land. Hedges and barren cherry blossom trees sparsely decorated the entrance to the temple.

Yumi shifted her eyes to the lake ahead of her. The stepping stones which didn't look like they had the potential of supporting her entire body weight seemed like the only way through the lake and onto the stairs leading to the entrance doors. She sighed and looked down on her outfit: her very own red and black kimono with a golden obi sash. She really didn't want to ruin it.

Yumi the averted her eyes towards the floating stepping stones. She took a deep breath. What the heck was she supposed to do with the duffle? Looking ahead, she found two guards in samurai suits standing on either side of the entrance. She held up her arms and began to wave as vigorously as she could.

One of them thankfully spotted her. He straightened his posture and looked out ahead. "Hello?" he spoke in fluent Japanese.

Yumi widened her eyes in surprise. She really wasn't expecting that. Shaking her head because of how obvious it was, she replied with the same language, though the accent was a little off- she never spoke a single word of Japanese in two years. "Hi," she began. "I'm the new recruit, Yumi Ishiyama. How do I get across to you guys?"

Astonishingly, the guard threw his head back and cackled, causing his partner in crime to jolt awake. He straightened his posture as well, refraining from leaning back against the temple in exhaustion. "Leave the luggage," the first guard answered after wiping away a few tears. "And you, my dear, will have to get to us via the stepping stones."

Yumi clenched her fists and sighed. She creased her eyebrows in concentration. "Okay," she muttered. Casually, she hopped onto the first stone. She waited keenly for anything unusual to happen. Nothing.

That is, until the stone began to tip over, threatening to push Yumi into the possibly infectious waters.

Yumi widened her eyes in surprise. "Gah!" she yelped, holding her arms out for balance. Before the stone could flip over completely, Yumi hopped onto the second. She frowned as it began to tip over as well. Thankfully, even with her heels, she was impervious to the unleveled ground once she knew what was sure to happen. Yumi smirked as an idea came into place. Stone after stone turned over as Yumi touched them with either her hands or feet; she was doing a chain of backflips to get across the stream easily, skipping several stones at a time. She was across in no time flat.

Once her feet met with the leveled paved path surrounding the temple, Yumi put her hands on her hips and glared at the guards with a slight smirk hidden behind it, happy that she got to outsmart both of them. Their mouths were agape in amazement and shock. "So?" Yumi asked, cocking her head to the side. "Did I pass the test?"

"No one has ever made it past before," the second guard who was sleeping minutes before blurted in surprise. "Aina has taught you well."

Yumi nodded impassively. "So what do I do now? Is there-"

Instantly, the doors opened to reveal a man about Yumi's age -nineteen. He was very tall, handsome, and dressed in draperies of red and gold. His arms were concealed inside the long sleeves of his kimono, his face holding a warm smile. His eyes were highlighted -despite his heritage- with shades of light blue. His hair under his hat was a shade of pure black, not even a single highlight from the sun. His long bangs were swept to the side, and the rest was not too long to stay presentable. "Welcome, Yumi," he said. "My name is Naoko Noboru. I see that you've quickly gotten used to the dress code here. Fantastic job on the stepping stones, by the way."

Yumi directed a bow, a slight grin prominent upon her face. "Yes, thank you," she answered.

He nodded slowly. "You are to start at the lowest of ranks: Apprentice. From there, you will work up to the Main Branch. The system is very similar to Spain's -except, of course, you will be taught discipline. Like the stepping stones, for example. If you can't do it, you will fail embarrassingly, which is the immediate punishment. Luckily, you were able to pass that."

Yumi scowled. Lowest rank? While Aina, the Queen of Spain, was still alive, she automatically raised her to the Main Branch without even having to show her any of her talent. Surely, she got some credit here. But no, she was wrong. "But I was-" Yumi began.

"Yes, I know, you were on the Main Branch," Naoko completed for her. "But the standards are different here. They are much more stringent. Surely, you understand."

"Yes, I do," Yumi answered, bowing once again. She tried her best to sound polite instead of whiny. "But if only I can show you what I can do-"

"You have a clean slate here." Yumi frowned and instantly wanted to strangle Naoko _now_. She could probably succeed. He was so annoyingly authoritative, abusive of his power, and too pampered. She narrowed her eyes. Then, without letting her know that he noticed, Naoko continued, "I will take no objection. If you are to resist, you may leave the way you came."

Yumi's scowl enlarged. She clenched her fists and sighed in deafeat. "Okay," she muttered.

Naoko smiled. "Great," he answered. Instantly, the guards came with Yumi's duffle and dumped it at her feet. "You are to find your room, and training will start tomorrow."

* * *

Yumi lay on her new futon that night. She skipped dinner and ignored everyone that tried to start a conversation with her. She wasn't angry at having to start at apprentice- she was just bothered by the occurrence that took place back in Spain, right before she left. Laying in bed right before she drifted off was unfortunately the perfect time for her to contemplate current topics that wouldn't stop zooming and ricocheting off the corners of her mind.

So, Yumi began to think about this morning, right before her departure:

_William was found missing this morning. After breakfast, Yumi cleared her tray and walked in the direction towards Brynga's room. She wasn't really sure about what she was going to do, though she knew what she wanted the outcome to be: that Brynga tell her if she is or is not part of the kidnappings, or the Kinimods._

_There was reason for her suspicion. After those wonderful kisses she received from Ulrich, there were flashes of black emerging from everywhere. They were up in the trees, behind the bushes, and even just appearing in open space. She swore they were the Kinimods. Brynga was the person that didn't want her to get close to Ulrich, so why would the Kinimods be there? Surely they didn't care about their enemies' romantic endeavors._

_Unless, Brynga __was__ part of the Kinimods, and keeping Ulrich and Yumi away was part of their covert plan to get rid of Eurasia's Army once and for all. Yumi stopped in front of Brynga's door, her entry to the very source of information she needed that will hopefully be crucial in this whole messed up conspiracy. She clenched her fists. Part of her wanted her suspicions to be proved right, and the other part didn't. Yumi fingered the doorknob until she realized how rude it was to just walk in._

_She knocked once._

_Then twice._

_Brynga's 'innocent' Icelandic accent sounded through the door. "Come in," she answered._

_Yumi wordlessly complied. She entered the room, looking straight ahead. She then shifted her gaze to the right to find Brynga just pulling on her white riding boots. Yumi raised an eyebrow, only thinking about how uncomfortable those must be while she trained. Brynga then looked up only to find Yumi staring at her weirdly. She rose an eyebrow as well. "What?" she asked. The corners of her lips slowly curled up to form a slight smirk. "What's up?"_

_Yumi shook her head. She sighed and clenched her fists. "Let's get this over with," she muttered, sauntering over to Brynga._

_The Icelandic's face fell from that feigned smile to form a look of utter contempt. It could also pass as an impassive look. She also threw up her arms in question. "So, again, as I ask, why are you here?" She began to tap her foot against the carpet impatiently, her arms now crossed._

_Yumi, wanting to zoom through this, cut right to the chase. "Have you heard of William's and Emily's disappearances?"_

_Brynga got up from her bunk, put her hands on her hips, and gave her a __duh!__ look. "Hasn't everybody..?" she asked, as if it was obvious._

_"You said that if I broke the ultimatum, you will begin to mess with my friends," Yumi began. "But, knowing that Jeremie and Aelita just can't disappear at this time because of the duel, and that Ulrich and Odd just don't seem to be the easiest to catch, the most easiest way to go was to mess with my friends outside of the Main Branch. Emily and William are the closest to me, compared to the other warriors."_

_"And you are implying...?" Brynga didn't need to ask, of course. She could already tell what was coming._

_"Ulrich and I made out," Yumi blurted, her eyes opened wide. Brynga didn't seem to change in demeanor in response to it, though, as she continued to gaze at Yumi with an indifferent expression. "Just yesterday," she then added._

_Brynga shook her head. "I knew this would happen," she replied coldly. "How selfish of you, Yumi."_

_Yumi clenched her teeth in irritation. "That's not the point!" she snapped. "After that, I saw flashes of black everywhere. They closely resembled the Kinimods. Now, the obvious question is, are you a part of them? And are they the ones that carried out the kidnappings?"_

_Answering her one of her questions, Brynga put a hand to her chest. "How __dare__ you," she choked out. "I would __never__ kidnap anyone. I just knew of you and Ulrich today, Yumi, when you told me just now."_

_Yumi wasn't buying it, of course. She creased her eyebrows and clutched for Brynga's tank top, pulling her close. She stared her hard in the eyes. "Don't play that game with me," Yumi snarled. She pinned Brynga agaisnt the wall. "I want to know. Are. You. Responsible."_

_Setting Yumi off, Brynga only examined her nails in an act of nonchalance. She sighed in defeat. "__Fine.__ Yes, I'm responsible, but only because you and Ulrich got really close during that night at Parc Guell."_

_Yumi narrowed her eyes. "You __said__, 'one kiss.' We didn't kiss."_

_"Why, Yumi, the bad guys always mix up the rules, don't they?" Brynga smirked, sending waves of taunt in Yumi's direction._

_Yumi slammed Brynga into the wall and clutched tighter onto her shirt. "What the hell," she breathed out. "How can I trust you now? After this, I can possibly even make out with him once again."_

_Brynga shook her head. "Oh, about that," she said sweetly, holding up her pointer finger. Her facial expression then instantly darkened. "Kiss Ulrich again, and William and Emily are dead."_

_"Where did you hide them?" Yumi shot the question at her, even though she knew it was pointless._

_"No reason in telling __you__," Brynga replied. She then sent her a glare. "Stop hanging around Ulrich, and I can promise you a perfect attendance tomorrow."_

_"That will be no problem," Yumi fired back, trying her best not to sound despondent. "...I'm leaving for Japan today."_

_Brynga applauded at a slow pace, like a villain would usually do when the good guy did something that unintentionally fulfilled the wishes of the enemy. "Great job," she replied sarcastically. "Did you know that I will most likely be the one replacing you?"_

_Yumi cracked a smile. "I will have no problem with that," she quickly answered. "It's not like you can __possibly__ do Jeremie any good."_

_Brynga held up a finger. "Oh, on the contrary, Yumi," she said, cracking a smile as well. __Oh__, she's going to have fun with this. "I've already built up the reputation as one of the best novice recruits ever to come here," she added. "I can possibly do good, even better than __you__."_

_Yumi widened her eyes in surprise, but it quickly receded into a look of disdain for the Icelandic. "Yeah, right," she muttered. She then went into another round of interrogation, not forgetting the other question at all. She continued, "One more thing: Are you part of the Kinimods, or aren't you?"_

_Brynga smirked. "That is for you to find out later," she answered, directing her a wink. Before Yumi could possibly back away in fear of the Icelandic, she quickly added, "Just kidding. No, I'm not."_

_Yumi frowned and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was elated or not. She let go of Brynga and collided against the opposite wall, suddenly exhausted. She reluctantly sighed in relief._

_"You know, Yumi," Brynga began, flattening out the wrinkles of her shirt. "You didn't have to be so aggressive. We could've easily settled this over a cup of tea."_

_Then, ending the memory, was another one of Brynga's smirks. Yumi remembered glaring in response._

Yumi's mind flashed back into the present. That's when she realized that nothing made absolute sense. If Brynga wasn't part of the Kinimods, then why were they there back at the park? Could there be a second adversary?

Yumi shook her head at the absurd possibility at turned to bury her face into her pillow. She groaned loudly. Luckily, everyone was still at dinner, so no one was there to pester her about her problems. Eventually, she drifted off, and a completely different image filled her sleeping mind.

_It is May 27th, 2295, 1:00 p.m. After the burial, Ulrich pulled out a bento box. "I figured you were hungry," he said, eyeing her ribs that protruded from her black sweater, just like her brother's. Her cheekbones were prominent as well. "After your brother's death, I just thought that, you know.. You won't be able to last any longer as well..."_

_Yumi smiled in thankfulness. "Thank you," she whispered, wiping away the dirt and smudge that caked her face. She gingerly took the bento, trying her best not to eye it with longing as to embarrass herself. Ulrich pulled out a fork and chopsticks, looking at Yumi with question. _

_She laughed and took the chopsticks._

_As she pulled the wooden chopsticks apart, Yumi sat down next to Hiroki's mound of dirt with the bento tucked under her arm. She then pulled away the plastic cover, putting the rubber band around her left wrist, and began to eat away. It was delicious, and Yumi's mouth watered at the mere taste. She managed to eat fast, but still in a mannerly way, and Ulrich marveled at that talent._

_"Um, Yumi, I think you should slow down," he pointed out. "You've been hungry for a really long time, and I don't think it's good for you to fill yourself up so quickly..." Ulrich shrugged. Well, that was what Rosa told him. _

_Yumi stopped, put her chopsticks down, and rose an eyebrow.__ Well, it's kind of awkward for him to just sit there across from her, watching her as she ate. __If she slowed down, she would have nothing to concentrate on, and there would be a whole string of uncomfortable silences between them. She sighed. "Then can we play twenty-one questions?" she asked. "I need to know more about you so that I know you are reliable. What if this whole army thing is a fraud, and you just came here to rape me?"_

_Ulrich rose an eyebrow. "Very clever, but no. I would've raped you long ago, if I were a worthy enough criminal," he retorted. He then exhaled deeply. "Let's just get this over with. You first."_

_Yumi tapped her finger against her chin in deep contemplation. She tried her best to ignore the stomach pains growing inside of her. Then, the perfect question came into place. "How did you enter Eurasia's army?"_

_Ulrich sighed. "It's a long story. I'll try my best to condense it," he answered. There was a pause. He tried his best not to sound like this was a personal matter. "This was after Dominik's conquer in Germany," he began. "I lived in Luxembourg, which was conquered right after. Everything was burned down so that my family and everyone around us were forced to live in grass shacks in villages scattered sparsely over the country. My mother and father were always abusive, and it got even worse after our home was burned down. They were heavy drinkers and always came home to beat me for no real reason. I eventually ran away and crossed the border to France. I built my own shelter up in a tree, in the large forest that secludes the royal family's castle from Paris. I strengthened myself, repeatedly banging my fists against tree bark and catching my own food. Then, I got a letter from the Queen of Spain, just like how you did. I got there by following the directions in the letter. She provided transportation and everything. Unfortunately, I got lost in Madrid. Then this man, who worked in Sancteloni's, helped me the rest of the way to the headquarters. He's the only one outside of Eurasia's Army that knows about it. Finding you was my first mission."_

_Yumi was shocked to see that Ulrich also had a backstory and reason to fight. She didn't show it, though. Instead, she stood up and offered him a hand. "Nice story," she said, giving him a smirk. "I still don't know if I should believe you, though."_

_"What if I just show you?" Ulrich asked, taking her hand. For a brief second, there was a spark of warmth that flourished between the both of them. Neither of them made it known that they noticed it, though. He looked at her impassively. "Come with me, Yumi."_

* * *

**Author's Note: If you're wondering how the temple looked like, just imagine it in place of the factory. It floats inside a lake on a small island with stepping stones leading to its entrance. Thanks for reading you guys! Next chapter will come up soon! Much action is sure to be coming up soon. (:**


	25. Deception

**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I'm really really sorry for the delay, though. I know it's short for something you guys waited over two weeks for, but I promise I'll make it up to you guys. (:**

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Chapter 24: Deception

"Okay, now, one.. two.. three!"

Brynga gripped her sword and dived into the obstacle course. She bolted for the center of the battlefield, her senses heightened. It was barren, like usual, but not for long, of course.

Ulrich pressed a few buttons, and a wooden puppet rose from the ground, just mere centimeters away from Brynga's foot. She jumped in surprise, but was able to recover quickly. Before its arm was able to hit her side, she stepped away and swiftly swung her sword with all the force she could. She beheaded it, the fallen extremity hitting the ground with a resounding thump.

Another, and then another rose from the ground -one behind her, the other up front. Both of the obstacles begun to spin quickly, ready to slam Brynga to the ground with their elongated arms. But, of course, Brynga was easily able to avoid them. She promptly fell to the ground on her belly and rolled to the side to get herself out of the death trap. Then, she popped right back up and brought the puppets to their 'deaths' with the fall of a blade.

Instantly, without even a mere warning, a laser then followed and whizzed past Brynga's ear, barely singeing her golden locks of hair. Frowning in annoyance, she turned her head to find several laser cannons mounted up on the walls. She smirked a bit. Bringing up her sword to defend herself, she used it to intercept the beams, and they thankfully dissipated on contact. When the barrage ended, she sighed in relief and part exhaustion.

Ulrich nodded in approval, a tiny smile on his face. "Great job, Brynga," he said.

The Icelandic turned her head his way and flashed a smile back. "Thank you," she answered.

There was a pause, the whisper of wind the only thing breaking the silence. Before she knew it, Brynga found herself to be looking at Ulrich a little too intently, and noticed that his face was slightly crestfallen. Shaking her head, she slowly walked over to him. "I know that Yumi leaving is hard," she began, placing a compassionate hand on his shoulder. Once again, he turned away, but she continued. "It's even harder to know that she wasn't the one who told you she was leaving." She moved her gaze away from him and sighed. "But to tell you the truth, she isn't really worth it if she was going to keep something this crucial from you."

Ulrich's eyes flashed with anger at the mere statement. He whipped his head in Brynga's direction. "And how do _you_ know, huh?" he asked abrasively, narrowing his eyes. "You know _nothing_ about us!"

Brynga's eyebrow twitched from the statement. It pierced her a little. She took a deep breath, and said faintly, "I know you two liked each other.. a lot. I know she meant a lot to you, and that you thought you meant a lot to her. But _think,_ Ulrich. She never told you she was leaving."

"She probably just wanted to protect me-"

"And hurt you badly in the process?" Brynga asked. "Yumi never explained to anyone why. Have you even realized that she has been acting so bizarre, lately?"

Ulrich cocked his head to the side, and thought a bit. "Yes, if you think about it a little."

Brynga nodded. "And do you know why?"

"No," Ulrich answered coldly. "I tried to ask her, but she told me that she can't tell me, or anyone, why."

Away from Ulrich's line of sight, Brynga couldn't help but smirk a little. "Face it Ulrich," she replied coldly. "She's only been keeping secrets..."

Ulrich sighed, and his heart dropped at the cold realization. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Brynga was right. Maybe he should just put Yumi behind him, and begin to look forward to working with Brynga. She _was_ replacing Yumi, so Ulrich was probably going to have to spend a lot of time with her.

Almost as much time as he spent with Yumi.

Looking at her golden hair, deep, clear green eyes, and model's body, and realizing her pure sympathy and compassion towards him, Ulrich couldn't help but slightly shiver.

Brynga was _almost_ as beautiful as Yumi.

"At a time like this," she lastly added, "keeping secrets from each other isn't the way to go when all you want is to stay and work together."

* * *

"And... there!" A blonde capped the pen with a click and turned away from the whiteboard, flashing a smile towards Jeremie. On it was drawn the blueprints of a GPS gun, impeccably organized and detailed. "What do you think?"

Jeremie's blue eyes quickly brightened, but they were edged with nervousness. Once again, the mere mention of a gun managed to bring shivers down his spine. "U-um, that's great, Laura!" he complimented, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I really hope it works..." he then muttered, slouching against his chair.

Laura nodded enthusiastically. "I know that guns aren't exactly something we should be using," she began. "But, really, it's not like we're using it to shoot deadly projectiles across the room."

"Yes, of course," Jeremie replied, swallowing hard. "We can begin on it tomorrow."

Once Laura left, Aelita entered his room with a small smile. At the sight of her, Jeremie instantly got up from his chair. He was surprised, to say the least. More so alarmed. "What's up, Aelita?" He clutched his chest and swallowed hard -the mere sight of her hurt him a lot, knowing that he might never be able to love her again. Now, only pauses and long silences filled most of their conversations, which teared at both of their hearts.

That was when Jeremie noticed that Aelita was hiding something behind her back. He gave her a questioning look, and her smile tentatively brightened in response. "Here," she said, showing him a pile of folded clothes. "I picked these for you. It didn't seem like the designer had good enough choices."

Jeremie gingerly took them with a thankful smile. "Why, thanks, Aelita," he replied. He readjusted his glasses for a moment. It was a flannel shirt and a pair of loose jeans. "I like these a lot."

"I'll miss you for the next few weeks," Aelita brought up, shifting her gaze to the side. Before the duel, the Queen and the duelers were to be separated, for the sake of 'surprise.' It was another one of the government's absurd rules. A look of apprehension occupied her features. "And... this will probably be our last moment before we break up... for good. Jeremie, I- I want to remember this last moment. The two of us."

Aelita looked up again to meet Jeremie's blue eyes. She bit her lip as she stared longingly at his. Then, not thinking even the slightest bit, Aelita wrapped her hands around the collar of his shirt and pulled him in. She wanted to do _anything_ to breathe him in, to touch him before their separation.

Like that, she kissed him.

Meanwhile, Jeremie was more than obliged to pull her in until their bodies were touching, wanting to be as close to her as he could. He wanted to do anything to wash the worries away _just_ for a moment. He wanted her -the both of them, more so- to feel better.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm really really sorry for the long delay, guys. I just needed some time to relax, for there had been so many contradicting thoughts in my mind that I just couldn't sort out. It got even worse because it was all myself and in my mind. Things that had nothing to do with this story got.. complicated. I wasn't able to eat as much, and I had a fluctuating headache for days. To top it all off, insults from my parents have really taken a toll on my self-esteem. They've been telling me how I'm not exactly a very nice person, and that nothing kind ever comes out of my mouth.. I don't even know where they got those ideas from.. I apologize if this chapter wasn't very good -it's all I can do for now. I have been working on other parts, though, which I find to be very good. So look forward to that! :)**

**Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review! :) I'll be sure to have the next chapter up in less than a week, if everything settles down.**


	26. The Duel

**Hey guys! I would just like to say that I'm so so so so so so (1000x) sorry for the really realllllllly long delay. D: Writer's block can be really mean, especially when it targets my favorite story (this one)! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because I had lots of fun writing it! :D Go ahead and read!**

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Chapter 25: The Duel

The next few days didn't go so well. The sedition, which Jérémie did pretty good on thanks to Herve's previous breakout, angered the government, causing them to push the date of the duel two weeks before the expected time.

This means that Jérémie now has two days to practice for the duel. Unfortunately, a large chunk of that will have to be spent in a carriage.

Of course, the whole of Eurasia's Army was freaking out. Ulrich and Jérémie practiced hard the night before, but due to his lack of skill, Jérémie couldn't get it quite right. When the royal mode of transportation was there to pick him up, Ulrich had no choice but to tag along with two swords in hand. Thankfully, the body of the carriage was spacious, so it was fairly easy to practice swinging and handling during the ride. Although, the bumpy roads almost caused a few accidents.

Aelita was already at the duel site the morning of the duel. Her throne was set up outside at the site, which was nothing but mere dirt. It shockingly resembled the battlefield back at headquarters.

That left Odd and Brynga, who both decided to stay at headquarters. Like usual, Brynga trained and Odd taught his classes.

Or so they thought.

"Theo Gauthier?"

"Here."

"Claire Girard?"

"Here."

"Brynga Heringsdötir?

Silence. Odd tucked the pen behind his ear and rose and eyebrow in question. "Brynga?" he called again. By this time, everyone began to look around with him, searching for any sign of that blonde hair. "Where could she be?" he mumbled.

Odd left the assembled group of warriors and sauntered towards the girls' side of headquarters. It wasn't like Brynga to miss practice, so a look of worry chose to settle on his features. He tried his best to think of all the possibilities, but none succeeded in satisfying him. Once in front of Brynga's door, he raised his fist to pound on it–that is, until he heard a strange string of words coming from the other side. All thoughts of Brynga's weird absence flew out his mind and it surrendered itself to the words.

"Dashiel, I have to go–I'm already late," said a voice that shockingly resembled Brynga's Icelandic accent. "Yes I know, we're proceeding on to the next step."

Odd's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in pure fury. A mixture of anger and confusion began to fill his mind to the brim until he couldn't think straight anymore. Dashiel? Why would Brynga be talking to Dashiel? Unless...

She's part of the Kinimods!

Odd's eyebrows began to twitch as a bead of sweat rolled down his left temple. His heart was beating out of his chest so hard that he was afraid that Brynga could hear it. Shaking his head, he quietly inched himself closer to the door and pressed his ear against it, straining to grasp the next sentence.

"Yes, yes, I got the plan down."

Another mental blow to the head, and a slight ache began to grow within Odd's skull. His hand hovered shakily around the door's handle; he was deathly afraid to see what was on the other side of that door. But he heard enough and had enough. Taking a deep breath, he furrowed his brow to brace himself, then pulled the door open with the master key.

A wave of dizziness assaulted his mind for a second before he regained his balance.

What he saw proved his theory right.

Brynga veered her head to look at Odd, her locks of blonde hair flipping around to reveal her face. Tucked inside her ear was a black communication device, revealing her dirty tricks all along.

"Brynga..." Odd trailed off. Narrowing his eyes, he inhaled through his nose and balled his fists. "How could you?"

"Y-you didn't just hear all that, did you?" she quietly asked.

Odd shot her the best glare he could currently muster and turned away. "I heard everything, Brynga." A mix of betrayal and hurt hit him like a shockwave, and he almost couldn't breathe. The cold, hard truth struck him before he could prepare himself–all along, he was crushing on a-a... _criminal_.

Brynga's eyes widened considerably in response to Odd's current revelation. Stiffly, she walked past him towards her door and closed it, wanting for some privacy. Meanwhile, she wanted to punish herself for being so stupid–for letting someone so easily find out her secret. She didn't want this, and she was almost on the verge of tears.

She hated the lying. She hated everything about being a Kinimod. Knowing how much this hurt Odd and everyone else that trusted her made her finally realize the truth. But it was too late.

Her acts made her a Kinimod. No one else. Walking towards Odd in desperation, she wrapped her hands around one of his. "Odd.." she pleaded, "please don't tell anyone."

In response, he only pulled away and took a step back. "How can I keep something like this from Jérémie and the others?" he asked. Slowly, quietly, a knife sawed its way into Odd's heart, and he had to grip his chest to keep himself in control. Otherwise, he'd lose it. "You're a Kinimod, Brynga, and that's unforgivable."

"If only I could explain-"

"There's nothing to say," Odd cut her off, shaking his head slowly. "There's nothing at all you could say to make things better."

Odd swiftly turned on his heel and began his walk towards the door. The Icelandic stared in pure shock as he did–she never knew that Odd could become so despondent and serious despite his usual lighthearted attitude.

She clenched her fists and tried her best to shake out of her daze. "King Dominik... is my father," she choked out in a last single attempt to get him to understand. "That's why I had to become a Kinimod, Odd," she continued. "I-it wasn't my choice!"

_Bam!_

Brynga's words took form of the spikes of a club and dug themselves deep into Odd's brain, causing himself to freeze in a shock. His muscles tense, he tried to fathom the fact–the pieces fit together so well to the point that they became so inconceivable. Odd wanted this whole thing to be a lie–a nightmare.

His legs threatening to falter beneath him, Odd narrowed his eyes and opened the door.

Instantly, he was hit with a wave of battle cries. In the arena stood the Kinimods in uniform rows as Eurasia's Army stood in a cluttered mess.

The eccentric teen spun his head to look back at Brynga. "You called them, didn't you?"

Melting away from her previous pleading demeanor, an evil smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. She didn't need to act so vulnerable now that the rest of the Kinimods were here. "Of course I did," she answered tauntingly.

Taking her cue, Dashiel emerged from the group of Kinimods, his hands clasped behind his back. "Pleased to see you again, #625," he coldly greeted.

As Odd narrowed his eyes in confusion, Brynga let out an evil laugh. With a few backflips, she propelled herself to merge with the rest of the Kinimods, and she high-fived a few of them as they welcomed her back.

That cut deep into Odd. He just didn't know what to think anymore. Shaking his head, he took battle stance with the rest of Eurasia's Army–he refused to show pain or weakness. "Brynga might've let the secret slip too soon," Dashiel began, "But it doesn't really matter, since we already have done what we wanted."

Dashiel glanced at his watch. "You have... let's say half an hour before this whole place blows up." Odd widened his eyes in shock and slowly lowered his fists as Dashiel continued, "A couple of our trusted spies have planted explosives in the building's vital areas. Of course-" he snapped his fingers and a few Kinimods flashed towards the exits. "-We're not letting you out."

"What about you guys?" William asked. Odd veered his head to look at him, a faltering smile growing at his lips. He was thankful for the assistance–too much was happening right now for him to speak for himself. "You're going to die as well if you guys don't get out."

"On the contrary, my friend." Dashiel opened his palm to reveal a sapphire ring. "The Guardian's Ring is in our possession. A simple conjuring, and we're protected."

William seemed taken aback. "B-but I thought-"

"We stole it," he answered simply. "The government's security is just a mere pest, to say the least."

"We're getting out of here, no matter what you say," Odd retorted, not feeling the slightest bit deterred by the given challenge. "We can take you and your teammates down!"

Dashiel chuckled. "We'll see about that," he replied. Taking battle stance, he ordered, "ATTACK!"

Meanwhile, Odd pointed towards the Kinimods and dove in. The rest followed.

The two separated groups, one clad in white, one clad in black, merged and began battle.

...Today, the light and dark really did collide.

* * *

Mick trudged up the steps to get to the top of the elevated platform that held the Queen's throne. Stopping next to Aelita, he pulled out a scroll from the depths of his jacket and loudly cleared his throat. "We all gathered here today to witness the battling for the Queen's heart," he began in a sumptuous voice which was much unlike his usual tone. "The competitors!" He raised his arms up in front of him as the spectators applauded.

"To the left, we have Jérémie Belpois, chief of Eurasia's Army!"

As Mick happily motioned to the left of him, Jérémie approached the center of the site, clad in loose fitted blue cloths. On his head was a metal helmet with a blue feather protruding from the top, and in each hand was a katana–Ulrich was only able to teach him how to handle that type of sword. Large applause was given to him when he appeared, and he tried his best not to glare at the government, who had front row seats.

Meanwhile, Aelita gripped the armrests of her throne until her knuckles turned a shade of ghostly white. Her lips pursed to a thin line, a bead of sweat rolled down her face as she locked eyes with Jérémie; she was worried, and it was made very apparent. Jérémie, quickly noticing this, gave the pinkette a reassuring nod–a smile wouldn't be possible, for the helmet was obscuring view of his face. Aelita mustered a weak grin in return–she was thankful for his willingness... Besides, what could a baker possibly do to the head of the police department?

"To the right, we have Hervé Pichon, son of the most well-known baker in Vézelay!"

Aelita's head snapped up and away from Jérémie's comforting gaze as Mick's now slightly downcast voice rose up again. She directed her line of sight to the right of her, where Hervé was just approaching the center to meet Jérémie. Much to her delight, not as enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd, clearly showing their desire for him to lose. The baker didn't seem deterred, though, for he continued to wave in a celebrity-like manner, a large smile occupying his lips. Aelita then shifted her gaze to watch the government's reactions and disgracefully found them to be smirking. She swallowed hard as she tried to comprehend their looks–it looked as if they had trained Hervé to the furthest extent they could. His outfit even reflected that, for he was clad in a more impressive get-up: loose fitted green and gold cloths with a helmet which resembled Jérémie's–though the feather was larger and green in contrary to his blue one.

"Will the rivals please shake hands?"

The two competitors reluctantly moved their gazes to look at one another. No one, not even the audience made a sound to break the still humid air. Jérémie looked at Aelita, then Hervé's hand–he wasn't sure if he should make the first move or let Hervé do it. He hated his guts, and he found the baker to be ill-mannered; the thought of him slapping Aelita made the blonde clench and unclench his fists in a futile way to vent out his anger.

He was going to win this with all he's got, _especially_ after the way Hervé treated Aelita.

Meanwhile, Hervé looked to the side away from Jérémie–he was enraged that someone dare take away _his_ Queen. But he wasn't worried; the best trainers were at his side. At that comforting thought, a boastful smirk grew at his lips, quietly setting off his competitor.

Surprisingly, Jérémie was the first to stiffly bring out his hand. A smile graced Mick's lips as he did; at that moment, he _knew_ that Jérémie was the right guy for his little Aelita. Shaking out of his thoughts, the smile quickly dissolved and was replaced by another one of his impassive gazes–he wasn't to show any expression that would go against his impartial façade.

In response to his sudden approach, Hervé looked down at Jérémie's hand with disgust. With a grimace, he slowly intertwined palms with the blonde, and they rigidly moved their hands in an up-and-down manner.

Once that was finished, Jérémie and Hervé recoiled from each other's grasps and spun their heads to gaze at Mick. "Fantastic," he spoke.

Looking down at the scroll, he began to discuss the directions: "I will be holding two flags: one blue, the other green," he said. "Clearly, the colors correspond with each of the competitors' outfits–the flag that is raised at the conclusion of the battle signifies the winner. Now, to win, one of the two men will have to simply wound the other with the cut of a sword; once blood is shed, the victor is determined. Plainly, the award is the right to take Aelita's hand in future marriage–to take power of the throne as King."

Jérémie and Hervé gave impassive nods which told Mick that they understood.

The blare of an air horn, and the duel began. All thoughts of losing were dispelled from Jérémie's mind, and the vacancy was filled with thoughts of pure determination. The fear completely dissolved within him, and only adrenaline began to pump through his veins. Ever since his first meeting with Dashiel, he hadn't felt like this in ages. It was... great. He tightly gripped his swords and pointed them out in front of him, daring Hervé to make the first move. A look of utter stoics graced the blonde's features–he wasn't going to give in!

Hervé clenched his teeth and let out a snarl in response to Jérémie's sudden calmness. With this, he quickly advanced and fell on his knees, sliding across the dirt until he was in proximity with Jérémie's exposed legs. In a second, he then took a quick slash... but missed due to Jérémie's keen jolt back.

The blonde then bent his knees slightly and took real fighting stance as he watched Hervé get up. Ulrich gazed at the growing battle with pure intensity from the bleachers–he knew that Jérémie was going to make _his_ move now. Sure enough, he did, and advanced on Hervé just as quickly with one of his swords pointed out in front of him. Then once he got close enough, he threw Hervé off by imitating a slash with his left sword and taking a quick spin, elbowing him in the stomach with his right arm soon after.

As Hervé fell back and dropped his sword to grip his now throbbing abdomen, Jérémie intimidatingly approached. Meanwhile, Ulrich stood up from his seat and shouted, "YEAH!" with the rest of the audience as pure pride at his successful teaching flooded his veins. Aelita also smiled at the joyful sight and leaned out of her throne to gaze even closer. She braced herself for the final cut, until-

Jérémie seemed to have blacked out for the moment. As the tip of his sword barely hovered over Hervé's pasty skin, a feeling of utter guilt took over his body, and a frown instantly grew.

He couldn't _hurt_ someone, even if he was holding back.

It just didn't seem right!

Needing to think, the blonde dug one of his blades into the ground fairly close to Hervé's left arm, and he impulsively flinched away, whimpering in response. Then, with his free hand, Jérémie gripped his locks of gold hair and sighed exasperatedly through his clenched teeth, angered at himself for not going through with this.

If only he didn't live purely by morals. Then he'd take Hervé down with no problem. Picking up the sword again, Jérémie brought it back to its previous position: barely grazing Hervé's chin. He kept it hovering there and not moving, for he didn't want him to take advantage of this sudden set back. He just needed some time to get over this, that's all.

"_C'mon, Jérémie–only a small incision, and that's all_," he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Ulrich's cellphone buzzed within his pocket. Looking at the caller ID, he rose an eyebrow at finding it to be Odd. "Hello?" he whispered.

"Ulrich!" he called. Ulrich grimaced at the sudden blaring of his high-pitched, yet masculine voice. "The Kinimods are here!"

Ulrich's heart took a stab at the sudden surprise. His chest suddenly felt constricted. "What?" he half whispered, half yelled. At first, he didn't believe it, but after straining his ears, he could barely make out the yells of battle cries and the clanging of weapons in the background. Nevertheless, he impetuously let out, "You're kidding!"

On the other side of the line, Odd shook his head vigorously. He was hiding in one of the many rooms of headquarters, counting down the seconds until he would get caught by one of the black-clad commandos. "We have half and hour before the whole place blows up. What's more, Brynga is one of them." He swallowed hard at the pain that came rushing back. "Head spy, in fact."

Ulrich widened his eyes. His breathing instantly hitched. "Th-that's impossible," he shot back.

But once he said that, he instantly regretted it, for the facts came running back to him again: Brynga's 'natural' fighting talent. Her flexibility. Her split personality; one time she could be naïve, the other flirty and deceiving. Ulrich then eyed Aelita, who was looking back at him suspiciously. She noticed the phone call as well, and wanted to know what was going on.

"I'll pick you guys up with the Dragon's Barrette," Odd instantly offered. "I'll see you later- GAH!"

The line was then quickly cut off. "Odd!" Ulrich yelled into the receiver, shaking it hard. "ODD!"

All of it was in vain. Once he shut his phone, Ulrich locked eyes with Aelita once again. When she quirked an eyebrow at him, Ulrich mouthed, "Trouble," and silently rose from his seat.

Aelita, meanwhile, straightened her posture within her throne. Shifting her skirts, she mouthed back, "Kinimods?"

Ulrich nodded gravely in reply. Aelita's green eyes then grew considerably in size at the sudden alert, and she proceeded with trying to get Jérémie's attention. She leaned out of her throne, and began to call out his name. "Jérémie!" she whispered.

Jérémie impetuously took his gaze from Hervé and spun his head to face the pinkette. "Aelita, is there something wrong?" he asked.

He immediately regretted asking the question. Hervé, taking advantage to this sudden lapse of concentration, jabbed Jérémie in the stomach with his left foot. The blonde instantly fell back as the wind was knocked right out of his lungs–he collided with the ground much sooner than he wanted to. Then, taking no hesitation at all, his competitor clad in green and gold cloths rose his sword and inevitably-

Aelita grasped her armrests tightly. Her facial expression contorting into that of distress, she yelled, "JEREMIE!"

But it was too late. Hervé gave his cheek a shallow slice, and beads of blood began to slowly drip from it. Jérémie, feeling the sudden sting, placed his hand against his assumed wound and brought it back to his eyes–it was stained with red. He widened his eyes at the sight, then fell back in shock. He couldn't believe he could be so stupid.

Like that, his heart shattered like glass. Aelita had the same reaction as she collapsed within her throne.

The green flag was risen, and Mick couldn't believe his eyes. Most of the audience screamed in pure outrage, and the government had content looks on each and every one of their faces, the complete opposite. Tears welled in Aelita's eyes–even though she knew that the Kinimods were more important than this, this was still important to her. Staring blankly at the sight, she took time for the fact to sink in.

Hervé won. And there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm very satisfied with this chapter. :D After weeks of writer's block, I finally got the inspiration to continue just a few days ago. This came out of me fairly quickly. (: Before some of you blame Jérémie's loss on Aelita, I would just like to say that she was only trying to tell him to get the duel over with so that they could get back to headquarters. LOL, so yeah. Feel free to review, guys! They're really appreciated! If you're very confused about the Kinimods' plan in taking over the continent, don't worry, because all of it will be cleared up... soon enough. XD**

**Explanation of this chapter's events: Brynga really was Dominik's daughter and #625. That would explain all of her weird dreams, right? Plus, she really hates being a Kinimod–she was forced to by the pressure of her own father. Of course, once she joined, she quickly grew to liking it because of the exhilaration that came with it. But once she knew how much it hurt Odd and everyone that trusted her instantly made her change her opinion.**

**Also, I'm very sorry if you feel that Brynga's reveal as a Kinimod is a bit rushed. It was either this, or make Ulrich and Brynga fall in love and have them find out that way (I'll explain that in the deleted scenes once this story is finished). XD You guys like this choice a lot better, huh? You're welcome. (; As always, I love you guys! Thanks for anticipating this chapter, and motivating me to update! Next chapter shall be fun and exciting, yeah? :)))**


	27. Stopping Demolition

**Well, guys, here's a very lengthy (and hopefully descriptive enough) chapter. Almost 5,500 words! :D I'm very very sorry about the long wait—school just began on the 1st, and if you were PMing me, you'd know how much homework I'm being assigned, especially in Mandarin. XD**

**I hope you enjoy this! It was extremely hard to write. Although, I'm very proud of it. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 26: Stopping Demolition

Odd was cut off by the breaking of glass. The pointed shards left their respective frames and littered the floor at his feet—they were in the mercy of the Kinimods. Odd tucked his head between his knees in a crouching position to shield himself from it as the remnants landed with distinguished clinks, then looked up with a stoic glare to find the fearsome trio—Victoria and Dashiel, and now including Brynga—all decked out in their black jumpsuits and polished weapon belts.

"Mind if you tell us who it was you were calling?" Victoria asked, feigning her politeness. Her blood red lips curled themselves into a cheshire smile, acknowledging Odd's presence with a taunting sneer. Licking her immaculate white teeth slowly, she advanced steadily in a prowling gait, as if the eccentric teen was her prey—_oh, was she going to enjoy this._.

Odd only shut his cellphone and stuffed it into his pocket, giving the girl his final answer: _yes, I do mind._ Victoria, her eyes now ablaze with determination, then chose this the time to put on her wolverine-like claws, along with unclipping her chain whip as Odd swiftly nocked an arrow in his defense. Weirdly, he found himself to feel pretty calm despite the current situation, and _despite_ the adrenaline flowing freely through him. A barely noticeable breath was taken in then, and he pointed the tip of the projectile threateningly at the enemy.

Brynga's eyes flashed with half fear, half encouragement as she watched her affiliation in crime approach her former companion—she instantly felt herself withdrawn from the rest of the Kinimods and their actions. Turning her head to the left, she gave Dashiel a quick glance; he was smirking with eagerness behind that concealing fedora, and she could easily tell, being friends with him for this long. The Icelandic only turned again with a frown to watch; once more, she felt her stomach tie itself into a knot at the thought of her not feeling right at all with the Kinimods.

Odd released the arrow as Victoria was only mere feet away from him, though she was able to dodge it with a simple sidestep to the left. She watched it fly further into nothing with a mocked look of longing, then whipped her head around to look at Odd again, her chestnut hair bouncing in curls around her thin face. She quickly brought back that unsettling cheshire smile—and made it bigger, clearly displaying her growing urge to get this over with. She then let out a feline snarl and began to approach again—this time, it was when she really deal with him.

Victoria gripped her chain and reeled her arm back, quickly spinning it to gather some force. She then forcibly flung it out front of her—in Odd's direction—guiding it to strike mercilessly and painfully across the smooth skin of his face. But before she heard the delicious sound of metal against flesh, however, she instead heard a dull, resounding thump. Not only did it miss Odd—but it was his bow that took the hit. The eccentric teen lowered his only defense weapon to his eye level and frowned at the splintered wood before he rolled to the left; Victoria quickly aimed for another blow again.

To then keep her from getting any closer, Odd got up on his two feet and grabbed a nearby table before lobbing it her way. Unfortunately, Victoria wasn't hit by it, though she was still restrained for a split moment from getting at Odd...But a split moment was all he needed. Before she could trudge around it and try to kill him once again, Odd pulled out the Dragon's Barrette and flung it in the air. "...DRAGON TELEPORTATION!" he yelled out quickly, his voice slightly raspy from haste. "_Dragon teleportation_!"

Dashiel's eyes grew wide, despite his usual composed, cool-headed attitude. "NO!" he cried out, his arm comically outstretched as if he could actually reach Odd in time. Brynga, meanwhile, stayed where she was; she gasped and pressed her fists against her mouth to keep it in. She didn't know why, but a sudden rush of reassurance coursed through her, giving her the urge to cry out in utter relief.

The Item of Schaeffer glowed with light before forming a swirling void of black and red at Odd's feet. The last thing he saw before he fell into it was Dashiel's appalled look, Victoria's shocked and frozen state, and Brynga's relaxed face.

Why did the Icelandic look that way? He was going to have to figure it out later.

* * *

The ominous void of black and red usually succeeded in frightening people new to using the item as transport, but it was different with Odd. Having used it so much during his enlistment at Eurasia's Army, he grew used to it—almost to the point where it didn't bother him at all anymore. He waited several seconds after he entered the portal, then witnessed the usual blur of iridescent colors meld and zoom before him—he usually closed his eyes at this part—then felt his feet instantly hit the leveled, dirt-clotted ground of his destination: the duel site in France.

Odd then took a few seconds to gather his surroundings. They were all behind Aelita's castle, and there was an elevated platform holding the throne. To the right were the bleachers for any spectators who chose to come, and in the center was a narrow line of space for what he guessed were the two competitors. Odd instantly did a double take at Jérémie's fallen figure (he especially took notice to the blood on his face) and Aelita's disheveled state—something wrong clearly happened here.

...Odd could quickly piece together that Hervé won. But surprisingly, he payed no special attention to that—the Kinimods were going to decimate headquarters, for crying out loud! At that motivating thought, he left his spot to run towards Ulrich in a haste, almost tripping over his very own feet in the process. Once at the bleachers, he walked up the steps, two at a time, until he reached his still-in-shock best friend. A few in the audience turned to watch, their curious glances all directed at the pair. Then in a hurry, Odd got hold of Ulrich's attention by pulling him by his shirt sleeve, then lugging him around to face him.

"Odd!" Ulrich's facial features instantly relaxed at the sight of him, clearly displaying his relief at finding that his friend was alright. "I thought you were-"

"The Kinimods found me, and I had no time before catwoman over here decided to begin her kill," Odd said through his teeth, quirking his eyebrows. He then turned to look at Aelita and Jérémie, and that expression was wiped out—only to be replaced with a look of pity. Frowning at them, he continued, "What are we going to do about Einstein and Princess?"

Ulrich also frowned at the saddening sight. No matter how bitter it sounded, he knew that the Kinimods were more important than their romantic endeavors—he also experienced the idea himself when Yumi was still here. Turning to look at Odd with a new look of determination, he clenched his hands into fists and said back, "I'll grab Princess, you get Jérémie. We'll meet back behind the bleachers."

Odd saluted. "Yes, sir!" he replied.

With a small smile gracing his lips, Ulrich let out a scoff before they parted ways. Odd ran up to Jérémie, who hadn't gotten up yet, and stopped momentarily to kneel down at his level. Looking him in the eye, he shook Jérémie's shoulders.

"Hey, Einstein!" he called out, pulling the blonde into a sitting position.

Jérémie's left eye twitched a bit before his name barely managed to escape his lips. "O-Odd?" he said back. His hair disheveled and his eyes moist, he continued, "Wh-what are you doing here-?"

"We have to go, _now_."

"B-but A-Aelita..."

"You can worry about this-" Odd motioned around him, "-later. Meanwhile, the Kinimods are at headquarters, and it's going to blow any second now."

Jérémie's eyes grew nearly triple their normal size in response to the new information. With a deep intake of breath, he finally got up, and looked down at Odd with a newly formed stern face. The eccentric teen smiled, finally happy to see the blonde back to his old self again—they have business to attend to. "You're right—we have to go," he said.

"You have a plan, right, Einstein?" Odd asked. "Dashiel has the Guardian's Ring. Once the place blows up, the Kinimods will use it on themselves."

Jérémie nodded. "Of course I do," he answered smugly. "Ulrich will go to Dashiel and take the ring from him. Of course, we then use it on ourselves, and the Kinimods... You know. Plan B will be to escape with the Dragon's Barrette. If somehow the Dragon's Barrette disappears, we'll try to detonate the bombs."

As they ran to the meeting spot, a few of the government turned to glance at them in confusion. Hervé quirked his eyebrows, simulating their expressions, and dropped his sword to shake his fists at them. He also turned for a split second to gaze at Aelita—but found her being pulled away as well by Ulrich. "HEY!" he yelled to the four.

But of course, the runaways ignored him. The four finally met behind the bleachers, and entered the void that led them back to headquarters.

* * *

Fighting between Eurasia's Army and the Kinimods refused to go beyond a stalemate. This wasn't a good or bad thing—at least no one was getting hurt. The death toll remained at zero, thankfully, but things were bound to change. For the most part, Eurasia's Army held themselves back while the Kinimods playfully fought against them—anything to waste time before the explosives were set off.

Ulrich was on his way to fight Dashiel, who stood calmly on the top floor, looking over the balcony at the growing fight below. There was no way in telling what he was thinking—was he amused? Happy? Frustrated? Nevertheless, the brunette was determined to wipe that look off his face. The leader was so calm, and it frustrated him extensively.

But before he could take off, however, there was a voice that stopped him. "You're not planning on fighting _him_, do you?" asked a girl tauntingly.

Ulrich spun around on his heel and found Brynga just gazing longingly at the glinting metal of her drawn knife. She then smiled menacingly at him and also raised her eyes to look through her lashes, giving off an almost sultry demeanor to try and set him off. "I'm not letting you through, you know," she continued, running her gloved fingers along the flat of the blade as if to polish it. She then pulled out another one and took her stance. "Not without a fight."

Ulrich took fighting stance at her words and motioned for her to advance on him. "Bring it," he shot back, a smirk forming at the corners of his lips.

"Alright, then," she replied, simulating Ulrich's smile.

It all happened so quickly. With a girlish grunt, Brynga fulfilled his request and ran for Ulrich, her knife pointed out towards him—Ulrich swiftly withdrew his sword as well and waited for her to approach. In just seconds, their blades forcibly met, causing a deafening clink to resound even throughout the deepest corners of the vast arena. This continued on for a few more times until the both of them realized this wasn't going anywhere.

"What's the matter, Ulrich?" Brynga asked through clenched teeth as their blades met again. "Choosing to hold back because I'm a _girl_? How... gentlemanly of you."

For the hundredth time, Brynga swiped for him again, but Ulrich ducked instead and sent a sweep kick for her legs. This tripped her over, and she crashed back first into the ground with a loud thud, bringing her to largely grimace in pain. "Are you kidding?" he asked. Ulrich took the chance and lowered himself at her before straddling her torso with his legs to restrain her from getting up and further retaliating. Raising his sword, he said to her darkly, "I'm not going to let you _keep_ me from getting to Dashiel. I will never hold back, not even from you."

"Oh, yeah?" she replied, mockingly. "Well, you certainly fell for my acts since you put it _that_ way.." Brynga narrowed her eyes at him and flashed a smirk, finally irking him to the highest degree.

At that, Ulrich lowered his sword until it lay against the Icelandic's throat, just barely choking her. And with that, he looked at her sternly, his eyes glossed over with intimidation. "Don't you get it?" he asked. "We _trusted_ you!" he nearly shrieked. "_I_ trusted you!" His eyes instantly softened then, and he looked to the side. _What is he doing_? It had to be done, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. "...Which is why I can't... _kill_ you."

Brynga chuckled. "Why not?" she whispered, her tone of voice taunting. "Just do it, Ulrich."

As if his mind was somewhere else, he payed no attention to those words. Instead, he kept his slightly narrowed eyes on her, his jaw tightly clenched. Finally, after moments of silence, he said back, his voice now softer and void of the previous abrasive tone he used, "You're just—you've dug deep into us; you know that, right?"

Unlike the other times, Brynga seemed to have relaxed in response to what Ulrich said—as if her mood changed just like that. Her green eyes looked back at Ulrich's dark orbs, but they abruptly drained themselves of her fighting determination, leaving them empty of any real aggressiveness. What _replaced_ it, however, was something different. Something affectionate, something compassionate.

A few minutes of contemplation passed—she finally sighed inwardly, deciding her next move—and barely opened her mouth to speak. "I'll let you go, then," she muttered, letting out a real sigh. The Icelandic relaxed her muscles a bit and flicked her knives to the side. Scraping noises made their way to the two's ears as they slid across the boarded floors.

Ulrich quirked an eyebrow, gazing at the weapons as it left her fingers. "Really?" He asked in surprise. "Just like that?" He really couldn't believe it. "This isn't a game you're playing?"

Brynga shook her head slowly, quietly. She then narrowed her eyes slightly before raising her hand and resting it gently atop his head. She then _gazed_ at him tenderly, running her fingers through his locks of brown hair. Her thoughts were racing at a thousand miles per second as she did so—her feelings were finally made apparent.

"I'm serious," she finally whispered, faintly. Then, like that, with another intake of breath, she pulled him close and connected her lips with his.

The chaste kiss lasted for a split second, but for the both of them, it felt much longer. It was pure bliss for Brynga, but Ulrich was more confused than ever. She had been _spying_ on them all along, yet she fell in _love_ with him? Nevertheless, she moved her lips a bit and never waited for him to kiss back.

Of course, she never expected him to—his heart belonged to Yumi, not her. "Ulrich," Brynga said once they pulled away, "I-I can never imagine hurting you.. Please, just go before I change my mind."

Ulrich stared back with a disputed face. She was close to tears. He nodded slowly before leaving, a feeling of pity for Brynga failing to get away from him.

* * *

Jérémie spent his time yelling out commands to the warriors as they tried to push away the Kinimods barricading the exits. Unfortunately, it were highly-trained assassins they were dealing with, each and every one of them taught alongside the finest military force put together by the notorious tyrannical King Dominik—the very same military force that took full control over Eurasia once.

But, _they _were dealing with the organization that took down that tyrannical king, so both sides were pretty much equal.

Jérémie checked his watch—about twenty minutes until total destruction of headquarters. He clenched his hands tightly, groaning inwardly at the difficult situation at hand.

Then, just suddenly, his head snapped up as he quickly realized they definitely have to carry out his far-fetched plan, or else they'll run out of time:

Find the bombs, and detonate them.

Jérémie knew that William had the skill—the tall, dark, and handsome teen made it known not long after he was recruited into Eurasia's army. His great-great-great-great grandfather was a weapon factory worker in WWIII, and he, miraculously, survived. He passed down stories of his adventures, especially of the times where he tinkered with explosives, his guilty specialty.

From what Odd told him, Dashiel hinted that he hid them in the building's vital areas. If he remembered the blueprints right, that would be the attic, and down in the basement garage—the whole construction would literally collapse into itself if you applied logic.

Jérémie smirked as the plan's details came into place; his mind and heart filled with the last bits of hope he barely managed to keep hold on.

But when he turned, there was ham-fisted Benedick from the restaurant standing right there, ready to take down the blonde. Jérémie jumped slightly, startled by the surprise—and he swallowed hard as a bead of cold sweat dripped down his brow from the thought of fighting this guy. He was basically Dashiel's counterpart, almost as fearful as the leader of the Kinimods himself—although, he was much more arrogant and less intelligent.

"What about I say we settle this in the most... _violent_ way possible?" he asked coldly, his mouth hidden behind his mask. "Leader of Eurasia's Army.. I have a lot reasons to kill—_especially_ you."

Jérémie held his hands up in defense, his eyebrows twitching uncontrollably and his forehead covered in cold sweat now. His plan was literally falling to shambles as the seconds passed; there was absolutely _no _way he could save them all now that he has to fight this guy!

The blonde lowered his head. "I-If only you'd kindly let me though-" He tried to edge around him, though Benedick stopped him with his club, sending him at least a few scurried steps back.

"I don't think so," he shot back. He rose an eyebrow. "Do you really _think_ I'm that stupid? We all know you're the smart one—you almost _always_ have a plan up your sleeve."

Jérémie sighed inwardly. Well, he was pretty much spot-on about that. But nevertheless, despite the shockingly low chances of ever getting through, Jérémie tried to get through again, although this time he chose to barge through Benedick head first.

Unfortunately, the Kinimod was able to grab Jérémie and throw him to the floor. The blonde landed with loud thud, and he bit his teeth as pain shot throughout his lower back. Benedick literally laughed at Jérémie's embarrassingly futile attempts as he continued to groan in discomfort. "You're going to have to try harder than that," he taunted.

Jérémie glared at him in response to those words and pulled out his meager daggers in defense against his large and cumbersome club. A smile grew at the corners of Benedick's lips as he did so, and he said darkly, "_Perfect_."

Jérémie took fighting stance, and so did he. The Einstein swallowed hard and tried to look at his target with as much determination as he could—he did his best to wipe all the fear out of his eyes.

Well, ready or not, he has to fight this guy.

Or maybe he didn't.

"_YAHH_!"

Suddenly, a blur of red and black came into the scene—it was Yumi, dressed in her Japanese geisha kimono. Jérémie almost cried out in sheer relief and happiness to see the girl again; it was almost like he couldn't breathe anymore. Yumi tackled Benedick from behind, and wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck—one hand covered his face as well. She looked at Jérémie sternly as Benedick shook around—forcefully, might we add—and said to him, "You have a plan, right?"

Jérémie nodded, still unable to shake out of his daze. "H-How did you-"

"I'll tell you later," she replied as Benedick tried to throw her off him. She persisted, but they both knew it wasn't much longer until she failed to keep him distracted. "Just go!"

As Jérémie ran off, Yumi leaped off Benedick. He staggered around to face her, and she was just opening up her tessen fans. Staring at him with determined eyes, she then asked, "Missed me?" and flashed him a smirk, taking her usual fighting stance.

Benedick furrowed his brow and readied his club. "The fight at the restaurant was nothing," he replied, dreadfully remembering the time where she was able to escape him. "Now, you'll be able to witness my full potential."

"Oh, yeah?" Yumi asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought that already _was_ your full potential."

* * *

William and Jérémie couldn't find the explosives. They searched everywhere that made sense for it: the attic, the basement—nothing.

Jérémie cursed as another painful realization came to mind while they were sifting through the unchartered depths of the basement. "It's the invisibility cloak," he muttered, staring at his feet. He furrowed his brow. "The cloak!"

William rose an eyebrow and blew out a breath. "Did they steal all the items, or what?"

Jérémie shot William a look, his eyes filled with fear. "Why steal only a few... If you can have them all?" he asked quietly. "This place really _is_ going to blow up, William."

The dark teen stared back with the same look. He pensively looked around the place, slowly letting it sink in that the home where he finally started feeling like a hero will disappear in minutes.

But their lives were the priority, he realized. Hopefully, Ulrich could get hold of the ring in time.

* * *

Ulrich gripped onto his sword, his forehead dripping with cold sweat. He stared as Dashiel looked down at the fight below, his back to him and his hands on the railing. For a second, he stupidly thought that the leader of the Kinimods, the most cunning of them all, was oblivious to the brunette's presence, but like all the other times, he was completely wrong.

"It's nice to see you, Urich," Dashiel said monotonously without turning to face him. At his voice, the brunette flinched, completely thrown off by his instinctive and intuitive abilities to sense people without even seeing. "I'm guessing you're wanting a fight."

Ulrich straightened up and cleared his throat. "Well, I don't _want_ a fight," he answered. "If you would easily pass the ring to me, we could avoid it altogether."

"...I'm not giving it to you."

"Didn't think so."

"YAH!" Dashiel grunted, turning and throwing his fist at Ulrich's face. Surprised by the leader's sudden straightforwardness, he wasn't able to respond quickly enough, and he took the hit, his knuckles crashing mercilessly into his cheekbone.

Ulrich cursed under his breath as he spat out some blood. Droplets of red dotted the floor, and Ulrich largely grimaced at the sight. Swiping his hand across his mouth, he took fighting stance again, showing that the punch was nothing compared to the pain he was going to inflict on Dashiel—he was going to regret it soon.

Ulrich took his turn. He threw his sword to the ground and elusively edged around Dashiel. He tried to grab the Kinimod from behind, but he was able to slink away from his grasp and give a roundhouse kick at his side. The brunette reeled back in throbbing pain for a few seconds, took deep breaths, and recovered once again, although this time, the pain stayed.

Dashiel held his hands out as Ulrich then tried to land kicks on his face, each one sloppier than the last. The adrenaline fueled him with anger, making all other thoughts murky and his execution with the kicks worsen. None of the attempts succeeded, for he only kicked at his hands repeatedly—it didn't even look like Dashiel was _hurt_.

One last kick at his hands, and the ring broke from his finger. The band broke into pieces of sparkling gold, and the sapphire jewel remained intact. The opponents both raised eyebrows, staring confusedly at the pieces; if the Schaeffers were to create powerful objects, you'd think they'd make them indestructible.

After seconds of silence, both of them lunged for the ring. Thankfully, Ulrich was closer to it, and in desperation, stomped his foot at the sapphire jewel.

He didn't give time to think about what he did. His heart took a hit when he realized that he was destroying an Item of Schaeffer, but that only motivated him more to end it. He stomped increasingly in anger, looking almost like a little child in doing so. Dashiel didn't even try to prevent it; he was too much in shock.

After hearing a satisfying crunch, Ulrich lifted his leg. To their surprise, the jewel was reduced to powder. Ulrich swept it off the balcony with his foot, and it sprinkled the floor below. Dashiel stared in anger, his amber eyes taking a menacing hue.

Ulrich only smirked at him, happy for the guy's distress.

"Y-you _destroyed_ the ring!" Dashiel yelled, clenching his fists. "You _imbecile_!" He snapped his fingers, and, instantly, a sleek black helicopter crashed into the roof of the arena. Ulrich assumed it as one of the Kinimods'; he guessed that this was their second way of escape if the ring didn't work.

The remnants of the roof littered the ground at their feet, crushing many its victims along with it. Many warriors cowered in fear as large chunks of the building crumbled around them, and others coughed as the dust entered their lungs. When everything was relatively calm again, Ulrich stared in shock at the gruesome picture that was left before him: bloody limbs stuck out as the only signs of a once-living person, blood splattered the building materials—people from both sides died at that moment.

The enormous helicopter landed inside headquarters, and the Kinimods began to quickly enter it in a methodical fashion. At that, Jérémie looked up at Ulrich in confusion, and the brunette held his hands up, showing that there was no way he got the ring. The blonde despondently nodded back in response, and told Aelita, who was hiding in Odd's protection, to conjure up the portal.

The portal led to Aelita's castle, the only place she could momentarily think up of right now.

* * *

Brynga's arm bled from the rubble that pinned it to the floor. Two minutes, and the entire place will blow up. Clenching her teeth, she tried to withdraw her arm from under the heavy concrete, but it wouldn't budge, completely under the mercy of the unbearable weight. And of course, the countdown was still fresh in her mind—the fear coming from the possibility of not making it out made her thoughts foggy, and it barely masked the pain from her injured arm.

Tears began to flood from her eyes and mingled with the blood on her arm as she breathed frantically through her jaw. Another yank, and she cried out from the blooming pain instantly flourishing throughout her arm. She then looked around and found that headquarters was nearly empty, and that the Kinimods' helicopter flew just overhead, its rope ladder dangling at a pretty short level.

If only she could escape, _then_ could she climb up and be protected in there.

A flash of purple, and Brynga's head snapped up at the far-fetched and _desperate_ idea that suddenly popped into her mind. "_Odd_!" she screamed. "Help me!"

The eccentric teen heard her, yet he was hesitant in helping her. He paused his run towards the the closing portal and looked back with a hurtful look, instantly mirroring the pain she caused him. But then, that disappeared and was replaced with anger, his light brown orbs taking that of a violet color. He clenched his hands into his fists and stared down at his feet. "Why should I help you, Brynga?" he asked, shaking his head from side to side.

"Please!" she screamed between sobs. "Just _help_!" she then squeaked.

Odd sighed. "Okay, okay," he consoled as Brynga continued to vigorously pull at her arm, whimpering at the pain. He shuffled towards her, then got on his knees to meet her level. Odd nocked an arrow and launched it at the center of the rock—crevices formed as the tip collided with the surface, then the whole thing crumbled at their feet.

They dusted off the remains. Fortunately, Brynga's arm didn't look so grotesque; her black jumpsuit covered up her arms and the blood only made the spandex a shade of darker black. Then, without warning, Brynga pulled Odd into a hug with her good arm, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. "Thank you.." she cried out in sheer relief. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

Then, with one last exchange of simultaneously painful looks, Brynga pulled away and gazed at Odd. For a second there, he felt the urge to kiss her, to tell her everything will be alright—but then he remembered that she's a Kinimod, an enemy. Without another word, or even a goodbye, she ran off and took the rope ladder just as the plane flew up into the sky. Odd stared off with emptiness as it did.

And then, the place blew up.

Mushrooms of smoke and red and orange flames engulfed the large building, decimating it completely into mere rubble. The rest of Eurasia's Army were silenced as Jérémie announced the end of the countdown; all the memories it held—completely gone.

But, there was something else in there that didn't quite make it out.

"Odd!" Ulrich screamed, his hands clenched tightly in fear.

"Oh, God, no..." Yumi said quietly, staring off with a wide mouth.

* * *

Dried blood cracked at her lips. Her hair was greasy and disheveled. Cold pierced at her arms, and the meager blanket she was given didn't help at all.

Emily LeDuc sat in a bundle, shivering as her shallow breaths blew through her chapped lips. For weeks, she's been in here, not knowing at all where she was or what she was doing here. Not only did she feel sick, but she knew she looked awful, too.

During her time here, she was able to piece together a few facts: 1) It was only by mere chance that she was chosen to be the victim; 2) She was kidnapped just to give Eurasia's Army a big scare; and 3) Brynga had been betraying them all along—she noticed this when she saw the Icelandic pass by her cell a few times.

The door with the little window opened just as Emily was plotting another way to escape. She wasn't afraid, though. If they chose to beat her, she wouldn't feel it, for she can't really feel _anything_ anymore.

These past few weeks... Broke her. All her senses were pared until there was nothing left.

Emily didn't look up to see who it was as a bundle of black clothing was thrown in the space next to her. She continued to shiver, not acknowledging the person at all... Until she realized what this was.

Emily got up and started to quickly sift through the clothing, examining them with the sliver of light that came through the window. To her utter shock, they were:

A black spandex suit.

A mask.

Black combat boots.

And a pair of gloves.

Also, to her advantage, the Kinimod left the door open for her, as if he/she read her mind and was aiding her.

A flush of relief filled her body with joy when she realized a plan. But, she then grew confused again.

Emily looked up to find the Kinimod who did this, who _risked_ his/her spot in the Kinimods to help her.

But all she caught was a head of luxurious blonde hair before she completely disappeared again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that was fun. (: I would like to thank everyone who has been reading, reviewing, favorited, and/or followed—you all really motivate me to update this as early as I possibly can. ((: You all are awesome!**

**As always, feel free to leave a review! :D Things look really bad now, but I promise it'll get better!**


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